


Hunted

by ghostsea



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon Universe, Canon-Typical Violence, Drama, Eventual Romance, F/M, Suicide, The 100 (TV) Season 1, alternative universe - but still borrows from canon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-12
Updated: 2020-11-07
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:26:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 14
Words: 33,119
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25852078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ghostsea/pseuds/ghostsea
Summary: Raine Perez refuses to let life on the ground be a repeat of her life on the Ark. An archer, a strategist and a survivor, she’ll do whatever it takes to prove to the 100 that she’s indispensable. Friendships will be tested, people will be hurt and lessons will be learned as Raine’s ruthless quest for survival makes her question what it is she’s surviving for.An AU story that borrows from canon and hangs on to some of the major plot lines of season 1.
Relationships: Bellamy Blake & Clarke Griffin, Bellamy Blake/Original Female Character(s), John Murphy (The 100) & Original Character(s)
Comments: 25
Kudos: 23





	1. The Earth Council

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is roughly set within the plot of season 1 with some minor divergences, major ones in regards to timeline, and a few omissions. 
> 
> Feedback always, always welcome but please note I just write for fun! Hope you enjoy :)

They had only been on the ground a day when they realised they weren’t alone. There had been other survivors, grounders was what everyone had called them. And the screams from Jasper in the drop ship let them all know that the grounders weren’t exactly thrilled with their new neighbours. A restlessness had settled around the camp as the initial rush of excitement at being here on Earth, away from the Ark, gave way to the realities of what that truly meant. No laws and no rules, but also no protection.

Raine sat cross-legged staring into the fire in front of her as she tried to block out Jaspers groans of pain and the worried murmurs throughout the camp. The fire cast gloomy shadows upon the tent to her right and just beside her, her friends Jake and Freya sat quietly, contemplating their new reality. She knew they would be waiting for her to speak first. Raine always had the plans and strategies, a lifetime of surviving on the Ark in ways they didn’t need to had taught her that.

She sighed and pulled her eyes away from the fire to face her friends.

‘Everything has changed now, you know this right?’ she asked, but she knew she didn’t have to. She could see the stony resolve in their faces, the bond between them stronger than ever as they realised the fragility of their new lives. ‘If one of us had been speared out there in that forest,’ she continued, ‘do you think that they would have sent out a search party like they did for Jasper?’

Jake looked at her quizzically, the flames from the fire dancing in his amber eyes. ‘What do you mean?’

She leaned forward now, lowering her voice, ‘Make no mistake, this is just like the Ark. There’s an elite group that sits at the top, who will save each other, help each other. Us? We’re just extra mouths to feed.’

‘Come on Raine,’ Freya said, tucking a loose strand of cropped blonde hair behind her ear. ‘You’re being ridiculous. No ones leaving anyone behind.’

‘Well we can’t take that chance,’ Raine replied. ‘Think about it, no one’s going to let Clarke die now they know she can treat wounds. Bellamy’s got a gun so they’ll want to keep him around. Monty’s working on establishing contact with the Ark, and Octavia? Well she’s with Bellamy, that’s good enough.’ Her eyes darted between them as she made her point. ‘We need to make ourselves indispensable.’

She sat back again, glancing around the camp site before picking up the curved stick of wood she had been working on earlier. Using a sharp stone she had found, she made the finishing touches to her handiwork.

‘Ok then,’ Jake said seriously. It was strange to see his mood so sober, his normal boyish cheerfulness now undone overnight by life on the ground. ‘And just how do we do that?’

‘Well what’s your skills?’ she asked, not taking her eyes off the wooden stick she was chipping at.

Jake ran a hand through his dark, messy hair and shrugged looking to Freya for support but she was looking at them both in confusion.

‘Think,’ Raine prompted. After a few more seconds of confused silence she sighed. ‘You’re from Farm Station Jake, you know about plants and berries, you can help us forage for food.’

He laughed reminding them both of his beautiful smile, something they hadn’t seen much of recently. ‘I know about the plants we grow on the Ark Raine, I don’t know about these radiation soaked berries.’

‘You’ll make it work,’ she shrugged. ‘See what the animals are eating, copy them. I don’t know.’

‘And me?’ Freya asked over Jake’s exasperated sigh.

‘You build.’

Freya had a beautiful femininity that even the dirt and grime of the ground couldn’t take from her. Her eyes seemed to glimmer as she laughed her tinkling laugh, her blonde hair seemingly glowing in the fiery light. ‘I build furniture, with metal I might add. Shall I see if anyone wants a chair?’

‘Metal, wood – what’s the difference?’

‘There’s a huge difference!’

‘Not when it comes to building a wall,’ Raine smiled.

Freya and Jake stopped for a moment before casting their eyes around the open perimeter of the camp, perhaps realising for the first time just how vulnerable they were. The tall trees created a dense blackness that seemed to cage them in and provided plenty of hiding spots for murderous grounders.

‘Ok, smarty pants,’ Jake finally relented, ‘and what do you bring to the table?’

She grinned and held up the tool she had been working on, it was only now that they could see what it was. A bow, and in her other hand, some roughly made arrows.

Jake smiled back. ‘Well if you’re going to get locked up for a bow and arrow, you may as well survive with a bow and arrow.’

‘Exactly.’

Freya and Jake looked at each other, laughing slightly as they shook their heads but Raine could tell she had convinced them. That would be the easy part, she thought. She wasn’t sure her friends would find the second part of her plan so appealing.

‘We befriend this Earth Council that seems to have formed too,’ she said finally.

‘Earth Council?’

‘Yes, that lot in the drop ship. Especially Clarke and Monty. Maybe Finn too. If we have them on our side, we have a better chance of survival.’

She could see the two of them shift uneasily. Befriending criminals might not have sounded like a plan that could ensure their survival but since they were surrounded by them there was not much else they could do. There’s safety in numbers and right now they didn’t know how many were on the opposing side.

‘What about Bellamy?’ Freya asked.

‘He’s dangerous,’ Jake interjected, shaking his head. ‘He might have a gun but I don’t trust him. Murphy follows him, that should tell you all you need to know.’

Raine said nothing although she agreed. She saw Freya shoot Jake a quick warning look, they always tried not to bring up John Murphy around her but Raine pretended not to notice. It seemed wherever she went Murphy followed, from the Ark to the Sky Box and now to the ground. Even in death she wouldn’t be able to escape him.

‘Ok then,’ Raine said, standing up and stretching. ‘We’ll start tomorrow.’

She headed to her tent, bow and arrow in hand leaving Freya and Jake in a contemplative silence.


	2. This Is Survival

Raine had woken early the next morning. It had been a night of restless sleep for everyone in the camp site, but for none more so than Jasper. His screams and moans had filled the air and whipped through their tents. In the brief moments of silence Raine had wondered if he had finally succumbed to the pain. That was when the silence seemed more terrible, until the screams started again.

She threw her long, dark hair into a ponytail and grabbed the black waterproof jacket the Ark had provided her with before sending her to die. Carrying her bow and arrow with her, she attempted to step lightly into the forest. The beauty of it took her breath away, it’s density and vastness spellbinding. She had never seen trees tall like this before, so full of life with leaves so green. She had never felt the softness of grass and mud beneath her feet or felt the gentle warmth of the sun as it sent beams of light to her through the trees.

Jake and Freya wouldn't have wanted her to be out here alone, especially after the events of yesterday. It was why she snuck out before they could stop her. Truthfully, she wanted to practice hunting on her own. She had given a good speech to them last night and didn't want to diminish that today by showing them how useless she might be at hitting a moving target.

Because the reality was she had no idea what she was doing. She had been practising her aim for years on the Ark however, honing her skills quietly in her room with a basic bow and arrow she had coerced Freya into making her. The walls there were steel so she had used pillows and teddy bears, anything soft she could get her hands on to shoot at. Then she began to sneak into other areas of the Ark, looking for larger spaces to practice in. So careless, she realised now.

She saw movement in the grass a few times that morning. She aimed too quickly, aimed too slowly and fired arrows into nothing but the wind. Sometimes she heard tiny shufflings and scarperings but turned too abruptly startling any animal that it might have been. This seemed to go on for hours. She knew she might not have had any success on her first attempt but that didn't mean she wasn't frustrated by it. So she kept on.

Until finally, some luck. Ahead of her she could see a rabbit in the middle of a wide open space of grass, sitting still as though waiting there just for her. It didn't move when the branches cracked under her feet nor even when she clumsily dropped an arrow. She wondered if it just didn’t know to fear humans yet. Slowly and quietly she drew her bow, aiming at the largest part of the rabbit she could see before finally releasing the arrow.

She watched as the rabbit in confusion seemed to make an attempt to hop before it fell lifeless to the ground, the arrow glinting painfully from its side. Gleefully, she ran to it and lifted it by its long, floppy ears. She watched as the red blood spread slowly, soaking its soft grey fur. It was only then that she realised she had just killed the first animal she had ever seen.

*

Light was beginning to fade from the campsite and the sky had turned a deeper shade of blue threatening them with the spectre of night time. Raine, Freya and Jake sat by the large communal fire that had been set up in front of the dropship, roasting the rabbit she had caught for dinner.

As Raine held the stick of meat above the fire, she caught Jake's eye and smiled. Clarke, Bellamy and Murphy were standing nearby arguing about food and she couldn't help but feel a little smug. The previous night, for the price of a wristband, everyone had ate a panther that Wells, the Chancellors son, had managed to kill on the rescue mission. A price Raine and her friends were unwilling to pay, instead going hungry.

Tonight Murphy and his gang had failed to return with any animal to bribe the camp with. Not surprising Raine thought, considering they only had small knives to hunt with instead of Bellamy's gun like Wells had used. Raine and her friends may have only had one meagre meal to share between three, but it looked like it might be more than what anyone else would get.

Clarke had her hand on her hip, her round, pale face worried as she stood between the two boys.

'Our only other option is to head back to Mount Weather,' she was saying.

'The last time you wanted to go to Mount Weather Jasper almost died,' Bellamy snapped. 'So no, Clarke. Going to Mount Weather is not an option.'

Clarke, realising she wasn’t going to win this one, eventually gave up and headed back into the dropship to check on Jasper as Bellamy watched her go. After that it wasn't long before the smell of Raine's cooking meat seemed to rouse his attention. He turned to where they sat and Freya nudged her.

'Where did you get that?'

She looked up to see him and Murphy both staring at her accusingly. They were similar in stature she realised, broad shoulders and tall, but that's where the similarities ended. Where Murphy was pale with light brown hair slicked back, Bellamy had a warmth to his skin, with dark hair that fell unruly above his eyes. Looking at Murphy now, Raine felt a pang of regret and sadness, of old memories that she had tried to forget.

'Forest,' she answered simply before turning the stick in the flames.

Bellamy stepped forward menacingly. 'Cute,' he said. ' _How_ did you get that?'

She said nothing and instead reached down to pick up her bow that had been sitting beside her. She held it up for both of them to see. Bellamy looked from the amatuer bow to her, realisation dawning on his face.

'It might have been useful for you to let the camp know you could hunt with a bow and arrow instead of letting everyone starve,' he snapped.

'It might have been useful for you to let the rest of the camp know your hunters weren’t up to the job,' she retorted. 'You and your henchmen aren't the only ones with useful skills around here y’know.' Murphy stepped angrily towards her at this and she could feel Jake's body tense beside her.

'Ok then _archer_ ,' Murphy sneered, crossing his arms. 'Why don’t you risk a grounder attack by doing the hunting tomorrow then?'

Raine pulled the rabbit out of the fire, inspecting it to see if it was cooked before looking back up at the two of them standing over her.

'My pleasure,' she said meeting Murphy’s eyes.

Murphy stared back at her for a long moment but she knew he wouldn't push it anymore, not with her. Finally he tutted, shaking his head and opening his arms in defeat before walking off.

'You're doing well making the right friends,' Jake mumbled as Bellamy stormed off too.

*

The next morning Raine made her way to the drop ship, an anxious feeling in her stomach. Proving herself today was an important first step. If she managed to catch food for the whole camp to eat then she'd prove she was useful, and if you're useful, you survive.

But there was a difference between catching a measly rabbit after hours of stalking in the forest to catching something large enough to feed a camp of over ninety people. Failure today meant she would never get a second chance to prove herself and would probably spend her remaining days on the ground making bows and arrows for everyone else to hunt with instead.

Most of the camp was still asleep, with the odd few shuffling around yawning as they lit fires and rubbed their hands together for warmth. The air was damp with the grass wet under her feet, her breath visible in little clouds of fog. She saw Bellamy standing outside the drop ship with someone else. As she neared she recognised it was Finn with his stocky build and dark hair that fell behind his ears. The 'spacewalker'.

'It's dangerous out there,' Bellamy said tucking his gun into the back of his trousers as she approached. 'I'm coming too.'

'And I'm good at tracking. Finn by the way,' he said holding out his hand.

She smiled and took it, 'Raine.'

Bellamy barely waited for them to shake hands before he walked off, motioning for the two of them to follow.

'This should be fun,' Finn grinned.

Raine snorted as they both followed behind him, walking into the cool darkness of the forest beyond.

Raine watched Finn work with wonder. He stopped at bushes pointing out to them the broken branches or knelt down to the ground looking at prints judging how fresh they were, what type of animal they might have come from. Bellamy and Raine stood back and let him lead the way, Bellamy occasionally rolling his eyes at Finns guesswork and jokes.

'So the bow and arrow,' Bellamy finally said to her after they had been walking through the trees for what felt like an hour, 'how did you learn to use one of them?'

She shrugged. 'Practice.'

Before landing on the ground, only a couple of people had known about the bow and arrow. In fact, she could probably count them all on one hand. She knew down here none of that mattered anymore but that didn't mean she was going to tell Bellamy why she had wanted it in the first place or why she had practiced every day for the last three years.

She certainly wasn't going to tell him who it was intended for.

She could sense him still looking at her but she pretended to be concentrating on Finn ahead, watching him tuck a strand of hair behind his ear as he studied the ground in front of him.

'Useful skill to have,' Bellamy said. 'Well, for down here.'

Raine said nothing as she used her hand to push some bush out of the way, struggling to follow Finn through the winding trail he had lead them.

'I don't understand why you would need one on the Ark though,' he continued.

'Well I knew they would never let me have a gun,' she replied.

He looked at her, cocking his eyebrow. 'Why did you want a gun?'

'How did you get a gun?' she asked looking back up to him.

He said nothing and turned his attention back to following Finn, both of them falling back into silence with their secrets.

She knew he shouldn't have been on that dropship. Bellamy hadn't been imprisoned for hiding his sister Octavia under the floor and he had avoided the death penalty unlike his mother. Instead he had been demoted from a guard to a janitor, so for him to appear on the dropship with a gun and a guard jacket was not something she supposed the Ark had signed off on. But she understood. You don't spend that long protecting someone just to let them die in one of the Ark's experiments. She'd be willing to guess that he would do anything to protect Octavia. What that anything was however she wasn't sure she needed to know.

Suddenly Finn held out his arm motioning for them to stop. Raine crept forward and hunched down beside him, hidden in the tall grass. She could see immediately why they had stopped so suddenly. Finn had proven himself a succesful tracker and up ahead stood a deer, its long neck bent to the grass.

'Pretty incredible, right?' Finn whispered in awe. 'Seems almost a shame to kill it.'

Raine understood what he meant, the creature sure looked majestic. The morning sun fell on its strong white antlers whilst its golden coat looked illuminated as it chewed lazily on the grass that glittered with droplets of dew. She could have watched it for hours.

Unfortunately getting lost in the beauty of nature was a luxury none of them could afford. She had a job to do. She pulled forward her bow and reached for an arrow that she'd strategically strapped around her thigh.

'Even more of a shame to starve to death,' she whispered back.

She saw Bellamy shoot her a look as she knelt upright, her bow held in front of her, arrow trained on the deers stomach. She knew she had to try and hit a vital organ, if she missed who knows when they'd next find another animal, especially as large as this. Even if she could just slow it down, she thought.

She had to take the shot now. She had to secure her, Jake and Freya's place in the camp, this was to keep them safe. She let out a long, slow breath. Beside her Bellamy shuffled his weight, inadvertently snapping a twig. The tiny noise somehow sounded like a crack across the Earth and in one quick movement the deer snapped to attention, its ears upright, looking straight at them.

'Now,' she said to herself and released the arrow.

She didn't dare breathe as she watched the arrow fly through the air, its pointed end moving with precision and speed before impaling itself into the deer. An anguished screech came from the animals mouth as it ran, the arrow sticking straight out of its side, blood trailing it its wake.

'You lost it!' Bellamy raged as the three of them ran from their spot and chased after it.

The deer didn't get far however, up ahead they could see it staggering before its front legs gave out.

'I only needed to slow it down,' she panted angrily as they stopped, watching the suffering animal falter in front of them.

Without another word Raine pulled the knife from her belt, stepped forward and grabbing the deers head, sliced deeply across its neck.

'Jesus!' Finn said in alarm, jumping back as blood gushed to the ground in front of them.

Raine quickly let go and looked down at the bloodied and dead animal carcass in front of them. When she looked back up however, neither Finn nor Bellamy were looking at the deer but looking at her instead. They stood for a moment in heavy silence. She couldn't read the look on Bellamy's face but Finn looked disturbed, staring at her in a way no one had ever looked at her before.

'I had to put it out of its misery,' she snapped.

She bent down to the deer, pulling the arrow from its side before standing back. Bellamy bent to lift the animal before Finn finally drew his eyes away from Raine and helped. As she watched she felt a mixture of anger and shame. Who was Finn to judge her? To make her feel this way when she knew fine well later on tonight he'd sit happily in camp with a belly full of food.

This is survival, she thought. It isn't pretty and it isn't delicate, but it's what needs to be done.


	3. Enid

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I should have mentioned before that this story is a slow burner so please hang in there. There's plenty of action and drama coming soon but due to having a couple of OC's I really want to make sure I flesh out their characters and not lump you with a bunch of Mary-Sue's.
> 
> Let me know what you think!

Raine sat with Jake and Freya looking down at the metal cuff blinking on her wrist. She wondered if the others on the Ark even knew that the prisoners had been sent to Earth yet, if Jake’s dad knew or Freya’s parents. If Enid knew. She pulled her eyes away from the wristband and tried to push those thoughts from her head. She couldn’t think of Enid now, there was no point.

She hadn’t said much to her friends since returning from the hunt except to tell them it had been a success. She might have established herself as a useful hunter in the group but she couldn’t get the look on Finn’s face out of her head. The ground required a level of savagery to survive but that savagery might be the thing that could ostracize her from the group. She wondered what Jake and Freya would have thought if they had seen her today. 

They heard footsteps approaching and looked up to see Bellamy standing with a small tray of meat. 

‘Since you caught it I thought you should have the best bit,’ he said handing it to her. 

As she took it from him she noticed him look around their small camp area. Jake and Freya had also been busy that day and his eyes fell on the two small buckets of berries sat near Jake and the material from a torn waterproof jacket hung strategically to catch rainwater. Behind them stood the humble beginnings of a wall Freya had begun constructing with thick wooden branches, tied tightly with rope.

‘Looks like you guys are managing fine on your own here,’ he quipped. 

Jake’s eyes snapped to Bellamy with an unmistakable look of concern on his face. 

‘We’re not the only ones here that could be useful,’ he said. ‘There are people here with all kinds of skills.’

Bellamy frowned, ‘And?’

‘And we should be utilising those skills if we want to survive.’

‘Hey, whatever the hell you want right?’ Bellamy shrugged before turning to walk away. 

Raine handed the tray of food to Freya and stood up, chasing after him.

‘No,’ she said, placing herself in front of him. ‘It’s whatever the hell _you_ want. You’ve put yourself in charge here, you’re the one they listen to. No one wanted to help us when we asked but if you tell them to build a wall, they’ll do it. If you ask who knows how to forage, they’ll volunteer.’

‘Yeah, that sounds great,’ he said sarcastically, ‘but this isn’t the Ark archer, there are no rules down here.’

She sighed in defeat as he barged past her towards the laughter and shouts by the communal fire.

Luckily morning proved Raine wrong. Once word had spread throughout the camp that she was the one who had fed them last night they were inundated with volunteers to help build the wall. Others sat with Jake handling the berries he’d picked, discussing the best way to judge if they were edible or not. Their little corner of activity drew more attention as they day wore on and soon half the camp were collecting branches, working under the orders of Freya who took the newfound sense of leadership in her stride. 

‘No!’ Freya shouted to three young girls no more than sixteen years old as they headed into the forest. ‘We can find branches big enough closer to camp, you don’t need to go that far out.’

Raine placed a hand on Freya’s shoulder as she sighed. 

‘You’re a natural,’ Raine winked as Freya smiled with an exhausted look on her face. 

It didn’t take long for Bellamy to appear as she suspected he would. He stood wordlessly, his eyes scanning the work now in progress. He watched as groups returned from the forest with new berries and bark from trees, some of the stronger delinquents lugging logs of wood, hammering with rocks and shouting orders. There was a new sense of camaraderie in the camp and Raine knew Bellamy could sense it. 

‘Murphy!’ he shouted. 

From across the camp John Murphy looked up from sharpening his knife, a bored look on his face. 

‘Round up anyone that isn’t doing anything and get them started on building the wall on the other side.’

With a sigh Murphy stood and walked off before Bellamy left, throwing Raine one last glance. 

‘You’re supposed to be getting him on our side Raine, not challenging his leadership,’ Jake said quietly, standing beside her. 

‘Don’t worry,’ she replied. ‘As long as he has the gun, he’s in charge. People are ruled by fear.’

‘And their stomachs,’ he said pointedly before returning to his group of helpers. 

Raine turned from the commotion and made her way to the drop ship, pushing aside the parachute that now served as a door. The imposing steel walls seemed foreign to her now after the freedom and brightness of the ground, and with the chairs now ripped out, the ship felt larger. She hadn’t been back in here since the landing and realised that it filled her with a sense of safety. No grounder spear could get through these walls.

Her eyes were immediately drawn to Jasper however, sweaty and pale, laying on a table in front of her. There on his chest she could see where the spear had hit him, covered in bandages. Clarke had packed it with some seaweed that apparently healed him, he certainly hadn’t screamed so much today. Sitting beside him was Bellamy’s sister Octavia, her suspicious eyes fixed on Raine. She had the same black hair and darkness in her eyes as Bellamy, except hers were a piercing green colour. Her hair hung long and straight and her jaw was set as if daring Raine to challenge her.

‘Just going to see Monty,’ Raine said to her. 

Octavia said nothing and watched as Raine climbed the ladder leading to the upper levels. Raine realised with a pang that Octavia wasn’t wrong to eye her with suspicion, she wasn’t there just to see Monty, she was there to ensure her survival. 

Once at the top of the ladders she opened the heavy door from below. As she pushed it and climbed the last few steps she saw Monty sitting cross legged on the floor surrounded by wires, screw drivers and other tools. He had an air of frustration about him and his straight black hair hung perfectly to frame his irritated looking face. He looked up at her as she entered. 

‘Please tell me you’re some engineering prodigy here to save my ass,’ he said pleadingly. 

Raine shook her head apologetically. ‘Sorry to disappoint, I’m just a lowlife criminal like the rest of them.’

Monty watched as she sat down beside him, a look of defeat on his face before picking up the screwdriver and turning his attention back to the wristband in front of them. She instinctively touched her own. 

‘I hear you’ve barely left the dropship because you’ve been working on this so I thought you might like some company,’ she said. ‘I’m Raine.’

‘Monty,’ he replied. He stopped and smiled at her before sighing and putting down the screwdriver in his hand. 

‘I just can’t get this,’ he said abruptly. ‘When we take them off they go dead. If I could figure out how to get them back fully operational then we can use them to patch into the dropship’s mainframe and speak to the Ark. But I’m never going to be able to get this. And with Jasper down there...'

He trailed off and Raine glanced at him, casting him a sympathetic look. She couldn’t imagine how she would feel listening all night to the screams of Freya or Jake. 

‘He looks a lot better,’ she said reassuringly.

‘Thanks to Clarke.’

Raine nodded in agreement as she thought of Clarke. She had become the de-facto medic using the skills her mum had taught her during her time as a medical apprentice, and that made her extremely valuable. But she was stubborn and had lived a privileged life on the Ark, a fact that the other delinquents couldn’t quite forgive. It didn’t help that she constantly protected the Chancellor’s son. But opinions on her were irrelevant. It was Clarke that made the decision to rescue Jasper, Clarke that convinced Bellamy and others to join her. It was Clarke that Raine needed to get on their side. 

‘You still have your wristband on,’ he said spotting the cuff on her wrist. ‘Murphy didn’t get to you yet?’

She laughed and held the wristband up in front of her, ‘I reckon I can fight him off for a few more days.’

‘Family?’ he asked quietly.

She lowered her arm before replying. ‘Her names Enid,’ she said. ‘Her parents died when she was a baby so my dad looked after her. Then when he died we sort of became orphans together. She’s only twelve so I worry about her.’

Thinking of Enid was always painful. At times it felt like Raine had been away from her for so long she couldn’t even picture what her face looked like anymore. Despite this she had been in Raine’s thoughts every day since she was first locked in the Sky Box, her golden red hair and sweet laughter stabbing at her heart. In the night she haunted Raine’s dreams, angry and twisted looking, blaming Raine for abandoning her. It was why Raine had to keep herself busy, any time she had even a moment to think her thoughts turned to Enid and that familiar ache returned. 

Monty was still looking at her, a sad silence filling the room. ‘She’ll be ok,’ he said softly. 

Raine sat up straight and forced a smile on her face. ‘Jake’s dad’s looking after her now. He’s a guard so I know she’ll be fine.’

Monty nodded in understanding. 

‘What about you?’ she asked him. 

‘Parents.’ 

She could see the same pain in him at talking about family members on the Ark. This was what Bellamy and Murphy could never understand she thought, Bellamy’s family was down here with him already, Murphy had none. They didn’t have to wonder if the people they love would die on a ship that was failing, they couldn’t understand how important it was to let the Ark know that the ground was safe. 

‘You’re doing the right thing, you know,’ she said, ‘trying to contact the Ark.’

He stopped for a moment before replying. ‘The Ark sent us here to die.’

‘Yes but your parents didn’t.’

He smiled at her, a small look of gratitude on his face as they recognised their shared pain. This was the first she had spoken Enid’s name out loud since getting to the ground and she guessed Monty might have been the same when it came to his parents. 

‘Anyway,’ she said brightly, ‘I figured since you’re not going to quit until you crack this and since I am completely useless with anything that involves tech, instead I could occasionally keep you company. Probably mostly distract you but I have good stories?’

‘I enjoy good stories,’ he grinned. ‘And I don’t mind being distracted.’

She caught his eye then and couldn’t help but grin back. It looked like getting Monty on her side would be the easy part.

*

When she finally emerged from the dropship she felt lighter, almost renewed. Spending time with Monty was just what she needed she realised. All they had done was talk about Jasper and books and what food on the Ark they rated the worst (Monty’s was the algae soup, Raine’s the ‘everything’ broth). They spoke about anything but the dangers that consumed their new life. It was a welcome reprieve. 

She walked towards her tent and looked around to see that good progress had been made on the wall. It was turning out to be an imposing structure, with a gateway entrance and ladders placed strategically for lookouts. She smiled at this. If anything was ever going to show Bellamy the power of team work and utilising everyone in the camp then surely this would be it. And once he realised that, no one would be expendable.

She had barely made it back to her tent however when Jake appeared in front of her, his usually warm brown eyes dancing dangerously, his nostrils flaring. 

‘Where have you been?’ he demanded. 

She took a step back and frowned at his demeanor. ‘In the dropship, talking to Monty.’ 

‘Oh great,’ he said sarcastically. ‘You get to go hang out with some new friends, whilst we break our backs building a wall that was your idea to begin with!’

She could feel the beginnings of anger bubbling hot in her chest, ready to erupt. ‘Yes and getting Monty on our side was my idea too,’ she snapped. 

‘Yeah, and why is that Raine, huh? What use is an apprentice engineer in stopping a grounder attack?’

‘Keep your voice down,’ she hissed. ‘We’ve already discussed this, you know why Monty’s important.’

He shook his head, ‘No. The only reason you want them on your side is so _you_ can feel important. Up in the Ark you could never be part of the elite, down here you might actually stand a chance.’

She stepped towards him now, her eyes fixed on his. She was ready to put him in his place, to remind him that the progress they had made was all down to her. That she had fed them last night, that it was her who suggested building the wall and foraging for berries. She was the one doing whatever it took to ensure their survival and he’d be thanking her soon enough when his safety was assured. 

‘Hey archer,’ she heard Finns voice call from beside her as he approached. He stopped in his tracks spotting the frayed atmosphere and awkward tension between her and Jake. ‘Uhh, just to let you know we’re back out hunting tomorrow.’

She tore her eyes away from Jake and turned to Finn. ‘Sure, see you at sun up.’

He nodded and walked away, leaving Jake and Raine to stand in the remains of their own resentment. 

‘Looks like your new friends need you now, don’t mind us,’ Jake sneered before turning from her. 


	4. Beautiful Idiot

Jake had avoided Raine the whole of the next day. Until evening when she returned to the tent to find him sitting by the fire with Freya. As soon as he saw her approach he stood and left, barely glancing her way as he walked past her. Raine sighed and ran her fingers through her long, tangled hair before sitting across from Freya who was poking at the fire with a stick. 

‘Don’t worry,’ Freya said reassuringly as Raine sat down. ‘He’ll come round.’

Raine looked at her friend. It was typical of Freya to be optimistic. She had always been someone who could see the goodness in other people, the light at the end of the tunnel. Out of everyone, Raine was certain that Freya of all people didn’t deserve to be down here amidst this fear and death. She worried sometimes that it could be her undoing. Death doesn’t always spare the ones with the big hearts.

But then again, what was the alternative? To be awaiting death in the Sky Box as the Ark failed?

‘His mood just completely changed,’ Raine sighed. 

‘He just cares for you.’

Raine rolled her eyes. ‘That’s not what this is Freya. I don’t get it. Is he jealous of me spending time with other people?’

Freya shook her head. ‘No,’ she said before shifting uncomfortably. ‘It’s just, well, we could have used your help a bit yesterday Raine. Murphy was being a dick as usual, him and Jake ended up getting into it a bit. And Bellamy was stomping around, I think he was pissed that everyone listened to you and not him.’

Raine looked down at her hands, noticing again the ever present wristband, her constant reminder of Enid. 

‘It’s just…’ Freya paused as if mulling over her next choice of words. ‘Your new friends aren’t very nice.’

Raine laughed, she couldn’t help it. Freya had lived what could only be described as a relatively nice life on the Ark – nice parents, nice friends, a job she enjoyed. She avoided confrontation and seemed to never understand why people didn’t all just get along. It was a simple outlook to have but a beautiful one and one of the reasons Raine loved her so much. 

‘Firstly Bellamy and John Murphy are not my friends,’ she said as Freya laughed. ‘And you’d like Monty. And Finn too. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have made this all about me. You guys should talk to some others too. And not just for survival or getting people on our side or any of that stuff. But just because maybe we were wrong. They might be criminals but really, so are we.’

Freya nodded before casting her eyes up to the stars that twinkled above them. Raine didn’t think they could ever get used to the sight of the stars at night, they spoke about them often. Tiny white specks of brightness that broke up the dark sky and watched over them all. A period of silence passed between them both as they sat admiring mother natures nightly display. 

‘I think about them everyday,’ Freya said quietly. Raine realised that Freya wasn’t looking up at the stars, but as if she could see the Ark, imposing and industrial as it floated above them. ‘My parents. At times I’m glad they’re not here because honestly, I don’t know if we’ll survive this. And if we don’t, I know our deaths won’t be as simple as being floated, they’ll be painful and brutal.’

She paused for a moment. ‘But then, won’t they just die up there anyway? At least down here they can be surrounded by this beauty. Every time I see a new animal or a fresh water stream or even just look up at the sky I wish they were here to see it because it’s all just so beautiful. I know they would love it.’

Her eyes met Raine’s across the fire and Raine could do nothing more than nod, but it was enough for Freya to know she understood. 

‘You know,’ she continued, ‘I kept thinking I was just out of my mind to have got myself locked up for something so stupid. But I know now that it wasn’t that. Nothing had ever gone wrong in my life before, Raine. I couldn’t comprehend that if I broke the law I would be caught. I know that sounds crazy to you but there was no worst case scenario for me. Everything up to that point had always just worked out in my favour. I guess that’s because my parents always protected me.’

Freya hadn’t really talked about the Sky Box with Raine before. Most of the people who ended up there didn’t come from a good family, a lot of them had no family at all. But having a loving family who had to face everyday knowing that no matter how well they had raised you, you had still let them down must have been hard. Raine’s heart broke for Freya. 

‘Such a goddamn idiot,’ Freya sighed. 

‘Hey,’ Raine reprimanded, ‘you’re not a goddamn idiot, you’re a beautiful idiot.’

Freya chuckled softly before standing up, turning her eyes back to Jake sitting moodily with his new friends. 

‘Don’t let him get you down’ she said. ‘He just needs a few days, he is just a male after all.’

They both laughed before Freya hugged Raine goodnight and headed into the tent, leaving Raine with thoughts of the Ark and Enid. 

*

Life somehow managed to get into some kind of routine for a few days after that. Raine became the camps hunter, heading out most days just her and Finn. Each time they went out, Raine felt her skills improving quicker than she could ever have anticipated, even picking up tracking tips from Finn. Soon, others in the camp were hunting too, although mostly just Bellamy’s group of testosterone driven followers with their makeshift axes and knives. She supposed that for them it was more for sport than for actual sustenance but having the extra help was still welcome. 

Freya and Jake had established their roles in the camp too. Freya had worked surprisingly well with Bellamy to complete the wall and had now moved on to building small huts that could be used for smoking meat. One day Finn had suggested animal traps to take the pressure off of hunting which Freya had relished at the chance to work on. Jake had made friends with a group that had come from Farm Station like him and they had banded together with their knowledge of nuts, leaves, berries and roots that could be eaten. 

Thankfully, Finn had gotten over his initial shock at Raine’s ability to kill for food and they were beginning to develop a friendship on their mornings away from camp. Raine spoke to him about Enid and Finn had opened up about a girlfriend he had had on the Ark called Raven. He was convinced he was never going to see her again. Raine found this hard to hear as she hadn’t quite given up hope on Enid just yet. 

It seemed most of the camp was in agreement with Finn however and Raine was now one of the last still wearing the Arks wristband. Murphy and Bellamy had made their way round the camp with a variation of threats and bribes and most of the camp had complied. Even Freya had surprised Raine and Jake one day when she had arrived back in their tent without hers on. When Jake had questioned her she had shrugged. ‘I think we all need to make peace with the fact we’re never going to see anyone from the Ark again,’ she had said. 

This only soured Jake’s mood further who was still sulking at Raine and continuously clashing with John Murphy. 

Murphy had unsurprisingly established himself around camp as the one to watch. Unpredictable and at times cruel, Raine avoided him constantly just as she had done on the Ark, although back then it was to get away from his sadness. 

To escape from it all, she often found herself holed up with Monty in the dropship as he worked on contacting the Ark. His mood improved immensely when Jasper made a full recovery, if only becoming a little more jumpy than before. Sometimes the three of them sat together for hours in the dropship, her to escape the politics of the camp and Jasper to escape his fear of the grounders. As she watched Monty, she sometimes wondered why it was only her, Clarke and Wells encouraging him to keep working on the wristband. Were they the only ones left in denial?

Raine had tried on more than one occasion to establish some type of relationship with Clarke too but nothing seemed to work. Her methods of survival seemed to clash with Raine’s who figured they should stay put, defend the territory they had and work together to establish some kind of life. Clarke on the other hand was desperate to talk to the Ark and to figure out how they could get to Mount Weather. Her privilege was never more clear than in her faith in the Ark and it’s leaders. 

It wasn’t until one day on returning from a hunt however, that Raine realised their opposing opinions might not have been Clarke’s main reason for avoiding her. Raine had watched as Finn had greeted Clarke when she noticed the telltale signs – Clarke’s face light up, her eyes meeting his, a hug that seemed to linger a little longer than was necessary. Clearly, Finn meant it when he said he had given up on Raven. Maybe Clarke wasn’t pissed at Raine for their differing views on surviving, maybe Clarke was jealous of her spending so much time with Finn. The thought almost made Raine laugh, that down here in the midst of some real life threats, there was still time for teenage drama.

And so that same morning, Raine came up with an idea to get some alone time with Clarke. As she bent down, she pulled out her knife as if to untie the ropes around the legs of the boar they had caught. Glancing quickly around the camp she made sure no one was looking before holding her breath and using the knife to cut into her palm. The sharp, hot pain caused her to gasp and she quickly stood up as the blood began to drip from her hand. 

‘Hey! Are you ok?’ Finn asked, rushing to her side and grabbing her hand to look at it. 

‘The knife. It slipped when I was cutting the rope,’ she grimaced in a lie. 

A pool of blood was quickly gathering in her palm now as Finn held it carefully, leading her to the dropship. 

‘Come on,’ he said, ‘Clarke can clean it for you.’

Clarke was already fetching bandages and water ahead of them as they rushed inside. 

‘Honestly, it’s not that serious,’ Raine said as she sat on the makeshift bench that had once served as Jasper’s recovery bed. 

‘I know but it’s best to have Clarke look at it anyway, the last thing we need is for our archer to develop sepsis,’ Finn said as Raine smiled appreciatively at him. ‘I’ll go sort the boar.’

Finn left the dropship as Clarke walked towards Raine, handing her a rag. ‘Apply some pressure with that first,’ she advised. 

Raine took the rag in her bleeding hand and balled it into a fist, pressing hard and gritting her teeth against the pain. She watched as Clarke dipped another rag into a container of clean water. 

‘I bet your medical training didn’t quite cover spear and knife wounds,’ Raine said conversationally.

‘Not quite,’ she said. ‘More malnourishment and flu treatments. Unless I just hadn’t got to the part on poisonous arrows yet.’

Raine laughed as Clarke took her hand and opened her fist, discarding the bloodied rag. Taking the clean one she began to wipe at it as Raine looked to the wall beside her.

‘Not good with blood?’ Clarke asked. 

‘Just not my own.’ 

She could see Clarke smile from the corner of her eye. 

‘Did your mum teach you all this?’ Raine asked. ‘Or does Jackson handle training the apprentices now?’

Clarke continued to wipe before answering. ‘Mixture of them both but mostly my mum.’

‘You must miss her.’ 

Clarke said nothing for a moment before shrugging, a strand of blonde, wavy hair falling into her face. ‘It’s complicated,’ was all she said. 

Raine watched as Clarke’s eye was drawn to the Ark’s band around Raine’s wrist, looking at the small ‘E’ she had scratched on to it with her knife. 

‘Who’s E?’ she asked. 

‘Enid,’ Raine explained, that familiar pang of sorrow in her chest surfacing at the sound of her name. ‘She’s my family.’

Clarke nodded, her eyes meeting Raine’s. ‘It’s good to talk to someone else that hasn’t given up on them yet,’ she said quietly. 

Raine was surprised at her tone and stared back at her. ‘Do you think they’ll ever make it down here?’ she asked almost in a whisper. 

Clarke paused for a moment, her blue eyes not quite meeting Raine’s before she spoke. ‘I have to,’ she said finally.

They sat in silence after that as Clarke cleaned and bandaged Raine’s wound. Raine began to wonder why Clarke would be so desperate to reach the Ark if her relationship with her mum was ‘complicated’. She wondered if perhaps Clarke wasn’t trying to reach the Ark to speak to her loved ones like everyone else, but instead to feed back information because she cared about the people up there, not just her own mother.

Perhaps Clarke didn’t see the Ark as the home were her mum lived, perhaps she saw it as the home of her people. Somehow Raine’s thoughts rushed to Freya, someone who had also lived a good life on the Ark but instead had given up all hope. Where did Clarke pull her strength from?

‘You’re all set,’ Clarke said finally. ‘Just make sure you clean it regularly.’

Raine jumped down from the bench as Clarke began to clean away the spare bandages and rags. Before Raine made it to the drop ship exit she looked back at her and watched for a moment as she wiped the sweat from her brow. 

‘Clarke,’ she said. ‘Thank you.’

She meant it for more than just the medical attention she had given her. Clarke had been working all this time not just for her own survival, but for everyone’s, even those on the Ark. Raine realised that now and as Clarke looked back at Raine she was sure they both understood this. 

*

She was making her way back into the camp site looking down at her bandaged hand when she heard someone call her name. Bellamy was coming towards her, sweating slightly, his hair stuck to his head and his normal black jacket discarded, wearing only a light t-shirt. Beside him was a young girl, no older than 12. She looked at Raine apprehensively as they approached. 

‘This is Charlotte,’ Bellamy said when they reached Raine. ‘We found her following us when we were out on our hunt yesterday.’

Raine smiled at her, taking in her light brown hair which was held out of her face in plaits and her shy, small demeanor. Raine tried to keep her face friendly but she was struck by the girls youth. Someone so young shouldn’t be down here surrounded by convicts.

‘Go on, ask her,’ Bellamy said to her gently, nudging her forward. 

Looking nervously from Bellamy to Raine, Charlotte gulped before speaking. ‘Are you the archer?’ she asked quietly. 

Raine looked to Bellamy who gave her a small nod. 

‘I guess I am, yes,’ she replied.

Charlotte shuffled nervously, ‘Can you teach me?’

Whatever Raine had been expecting it hadn’t been that. She had never taught anyone else how to use a bow and arrow before but then again, she had managed to teach herself just fine. Besides, she wasn’t much older than Charlotte when she first started to learn. 

‘Sure,’ she replied. ‘Do you reckon you’d be willing to put in the work to learn?’

Charlotte nodded emphatically. 

‘Well I can work with that then. It just so happens I’ve been making some spare bows too so what say we jump straight in and start tomorrow?’

Charlotte was beaming now, looking back at Bellamy cheerfully. 

‘Told you,’ he said. 

‘Thank you!’ she smiled before casting one last look at Bellamy and making her way back through the camp site. 

Raine watched her go before turning to Bellamy who’s eyes were still following her. It was only for a split second but as Raine looked at him she could finally see the side of him that had risked everything for his little sister. There was a nurturing look in his eye, mixed with concern and disquiet. Gone was the steely, confident persona that she had only ever known of him. But before she could think on it any further the moment was gone and Bellamy the rebel and leader was back.

‘She’s too young,’ he said. ‘And terrified.’

‘She should be.’

Bellamy sighed before turning to face Raine. ‘Always the straight talker aren’t you?’ he asked, but Raine could see a small hint of humour in his eyes. 

‘Sorry, you’re right,’ she said sarcastically. ‘This is practically Nirvana down here, nothing to be afraid of.’

He shook his head, ‘Just teach her how to shoot a damn arrow will you?’

She nodded before he turned to leave. 

‘Wait,’ she said stepping towards him. ‘I’ll teach Charlotte if you teach me.’

He turned back to her and frowned, ‘Teach you what?’

‘Well you were a guard right? They must have taught you some self defence at least.’

‘You’re joking right?’ he scoffed. ‘They taught us how to fire a gun, use a shock baton or restrain people, all of which is useless down here unless you want to restrain a grounder.’

‘Well, if it gives me enough time to stick a knife in him then why not?’

He shook his head and laughed before he answered, ‘I don’t have time.’

He turned to walk away again but Raine fell into step beside him, refusing to drop the subject. ‘Oh come on!’ she said. ‘Now you’re the one that’s got to be joking!’

He said nothing but was still shaking his head, his mouth upturned in a smile. 

‘Look,’ she pressed on, ‘just give me like, a week of lessons. You can spare one hour a day Bellamy, you’re not _that_ important.’

‘Will you stop following me.’

‘Not until you say yes.’

He sighed and finally stopped in his tracks, turning to look at her. ‘Fine,’ he said exasperatedly. Raine gave him a triumphant grin. ‘One hour, tomorrow afternoon. We won’t even need a week, I’ll give you a couple days.’

‘Thank you,’ she said. 

‘Now leave me alone,’ he said before walking towards his tent. Raine grinned as she watched him go. 

She returned to her own tent where Jake was sitting, sharpening a small knife. 

‘Why are you so happy?’ he asked moodily.

Raine shrugged in response. ‘It’s been a productive day.’

Her plan seemed to be falling into place nicely. Sure Jake was still pissed at her, but she had befriended Monty and Finn as planned and convinced the camp that everyone was needed, thus heightening their chances of being looked after properly. And now today she had made headway with the two people she needed most - Clarke and Bellamy. 

If things continued like this then by the time Enid got down to her, there would be nothing the leaders of the Ark could do to separate them again. 


	5. Promise Me

**The Ark – 6 Months Previous**

Raine sat down at one of the steel tables, her chair scraping across the floor as she put down the tray of food in front of her. Across from her, smiling in greeting was Freya, her blonde hair long and wavy.

‘Why are you so happy?’ Raine asked, picking up her fork. 

‘It’s the masquerade party tomorrow,’ Freya grinned. ‘Don’t tell me you forgot already.’

Raine sighed, ‘I didn’t forget. I just have other things to do.’

Freya rolled her eyes before leaning forward and lowering her voice, ‘I know you’re not going to blow me off so you can practice all day with that goddamn bow and arrow again.’

Raine cast her eyes quickly around the room to make sure no one heard, but even the usual gentle hum of the Ark was drowned out by the chatter of everyone around them. 

‘No,’ she lied. ‘But I can’t leave Enid alone all day.’

‘You can leave her for a couple of hours Raine, she’s not a baby.’

‘She’s twelve.’

Freya sighed. ‘You’re coming and that’s that. End of discussion.’

Raine groaned before shoving a forkful of food in her mouth. She’d get some practice in a little earlier than usual she thought, then head to the party for an hour before slipping away to get back to Enid. 

‘Besides,’ Freya said quietly, ‘I managed to get the _stuff_ from Reed so it’ll be a really good night.’ She winked mischievously before leaning back in her chair.

Raine put down her fork and stared at her friend. ‘Tell me you are joking Freya.’

Freya waved her hand dismissively, ‘Oh come on Raine, where’s your sense of adventure?’

‘You’re talking about drugs!’ she hissed. 

‘It’s a couple of shrooms, it’s completely natural.’

‘We live on a space ship, there’s nothing about anything here that’s completely natural.’

Freya rolled her eyes again at Raine, something that she seemed to do a lot these days. ‘Aren’t you a tiny bit curious to just try one? We can sit at the window and look down at Earth or out at space. Imagine how trippy it will be!’

Raine shook her head. ‘I can’t believe I’m friends with a hippy that’s never seen nature.’

‘Exactly!’ Freya laughed. ‘How goddamn tragic Raine! Let me have this.’

‘Do what you want,’ Raine huffed. ‘But I will not be joining. And you better hope Jake doesn’t find out about this.’

The smile dissolved from Freya’s face, turning more serious at the mention of their friends name. ‘I know, Jake can’t know. Promise me you won’t say anything.’

‘Of course I won’t,’ Raine said. ‘But you’re out of your mind if you think he’s not going to notice you stroking the walls.’

Her smile was back as she laughed again, her blue eyes twinkling. ‘I won’t be taking anything until I’m finished, it’ll be fine.’

‘Until you’re finished? What does that mean?’

She stopped for a moment before sighing, ‘Now, don’t be mad –‘

‘Oh, this is going to be good.’

‘Reed is going to give me some for free, all I need to do is sell some at the party.’

‘Freya!’

‘Keep your voice down,’ Freya whispered as a few people from the table next to them looked over.

‘Sell them for what? You’ll be caught!’

‘I won’t. Trust me, I know what I’m doing.’

*

It was the next day when Raine was making her way back to her dorm after a morning of practicing with the bow and arrow. It had been a good session, her arrow hitting the teddy bear she practised on easily. The area of the Ark she had wandered to was stranded as always but she knew she’d have to move to a larger area soon, it was getting too easy to hit the target from that distance.

She entered her dorm and was immediately accosted by Enid who ran to her from the bed. 

‘There you are!’ she said hurriedly. 

Her strawberry gold coloured hair had been tied back in plaits, a dusting of matching freckles covering her small pale face as she looked up to Raine worriedly, grabbing the front of her shirt.

‘Hey, calm down,’ Raine said, throwing her duffel bag on the bed and pulling Enid in for a hug. 

Enid pushed her away however and shook her head. ‘No Raine, listen!’ She ran to the bed and picked up Raine’s bag. ‘You need to take this and hide it somewhere, Freya’s been arrested.’

Raine felt her heart rate quicken. ‘What are you talking about?’

‘Freya! The guards took her!’ she exclaimed. ‘Reed was caught with some drugs and he said Freya was involved. The guards are going to come here soon. You need to hide your bow and arrow.’

Raine felt her stomach drop and a wave of shame wash over her. Enid wasn’t supposed to know about the bow and arrow, how did she find out? ‘What? How did you know-‘

‘There’s no time, you need to go!’

None of this was making any sense. ‘But why would they come here?’ 

‘Jake’s dad,’ she said quickly. 'They think it’s some kind of drug ring. I passed as they were searching Jake’s dorm. I overheard his dad saying you were Freya’s friend too, they’re on their way now!’

Suddenly there was a loud knock on the door and Raine and Enid stood frozen for a moment, the duffel bag containing the bow and arrow hanging from Enid’s hand in front of them. 

‘Raine Perez, open up!’ came a booming voice on the other side of the door. 

Moving quickly, Raine grabbed the bag from Enid and threw it under the bed before crouching in front of her so they were eye level, holding her small, soft face between her hands. ‘No matter what happens Enid, you say nothing, you got it? You’ve never seen that bag before in your life. If they arrest me, you stay here. You say nothing!’

The person on the other end of the door was pounding on it now, ‘I said open up!’

‘Promise me Enid?!’

Enid nodded, her eyes wide with fear. Raine kissed her on the forehead before taking a deep breath and opening the door. 

The guard burst in the room before Raine could even fully open it for him. Already he was lifting up blankets, checking in drawers. Another guard stepped in, tall and widely built with cropped black hair. It was Jake’s dad, his stern eyes casting around the room as Enid stood timidly to the side. 

‘Mr. Harris,’ Raine acknowledged. ‘What’s going on?’

Mr. Harris had barely opened his mouth to speak however when Jake burst through the door. 

‘Jake, get back to your dorm now,’ his dad reprimanded. 

‘Dad, this is ridiculous!’ he panted, his face red. ‘Raine has nothing to do with any of this!’

‘And how would you know that?’

‘Because I know Raine, Dad! We’ve been friends our whole life.’

‘Yes, and you also knew Freya,’ he said coldly before turning away from his son and looking straight at Raine. ‘Miss Perez, your friend Freya has been involved in the distribution of illegal drugs, did you know that?’

Raine tried to fix her face into a look of surprise and confusion. ‘What? No, of course not.’

‘We have reason to believe that she is part of a larger distribution ring. Do you have anything in this room that you’d like to declare now?’

Raine’s heart was pounding as she tried desperately not to look at the other guard who was now on his hands and knees checking under the beds. She could see Enid’s body tense, her eyes panicked. 

‘No sir,’ Raine replied. 

Raine caught Jake’s eye and she felt a wave of sympathy for him. He didn’t know anything about Freya and the drugs, and now he was about to learn the truth about her too. She wanted to apologise to him now but she couldn’t, all she could do was look at him. She could see his confusion as he opened his mouth to argue again but then she watched as that gave way to a look of understanding at Raine’s expression. It was over. He closed his mouth and looked away from her.

Behind her Raine could hear the unmistakable sound of a zipper. The guard had found the duffel bag. Raine had visions of grabbing it from him and making a run for it but she knew it was too late. She couldn’t breathe, she felt like her legs were going to give out from under her as she inhaled deeply to keep steady. 

He pulled out the teddy bear she practised on first, almost ripped to shreds by this point, covered in small holes, pockets of white stuffing poking out. Raine could feel everyone in the room stare at the dismembered teddy in confusion. Then with an astonished look on his face the guard pulled out the metal tool that would change everything. It took a moment for Mr. Harris and the guard to realise what it was as he held it up. 

The bow and arrow. Jake stared at it for a moment before looking back at Raine. 

‘Raine Perez, what is that?’ Mr. Harris asked. 

Raine stayed silent. She dared not look at anyone but him, even though she desperately wanted to turn to Enid and to hug her. What would life be like for her after this? Every single parental figure in her life snatched from her by the Ark. This time will be different she wanted to tell her, even if it wasn’t true. 

‘It looks like a bow and arrow to me sir,’ said the other guard. Raine clenched her teeth.

‘Miss Perez, why do you have an illegal weapon in this bag?’

Again Raine stayed silent. Mr. Harris sighed before nodding to the other guard who stepped towards her, pulling handcuffs from his belt. 

‘No!’ Enid screamed. 

Raine knew there was no point in fighting, she could barely hear the guard as he told her she was under arrest, grabbing roughly at her wrists. He began to drag her out of the room as Enid ran forward. She could hear Jake pleading with his dad but she couldn’t concentrate on what he was saying either, instead all she could think of was Enid. She just needed to get to Enid. 

‘Move!’ the guard grunted in frustration as Raine began to struggle against him trying to reach her. 

‘No!’ she heard herself shout. ‘Jake, look after Enid! Jake, promise me!’

**The Ground - Present**

‘Ok, that’s good,’ Raine said. ‘Just put your feet a little further apart and lift your elbow higher.’

Charlotte was holding the small bow made to her size awkwardly in one hand as she struggled to fix the arrow in place between her fingers. Raine had been teaching her all morning, mostly working on her stance and the proper way to hold the bow but for a first lesson she was doing not bad. Raine actually found herself enjoying her new role as a teacher. Charlotte was shy but eager, a mouse of a girl determined to compete with the lions.

Jake approached, his normal messy hair looking more unruly than ever and a scattering of new small freckles across his nose. Charlotte heard him draw near and immediately dropped the arrow growing flustered with the increased audience. 

‘That’s ok,’ Raine said encouragingly. ‘Just try again.’

‘You’re a teacher now?’ Jake asked as Charlotte picked up the arrow up from the ground. 

‘Just testing out some career options.’ 

She could see the corners of his mouth twitch.

Earlier that morning as Raine and Jake were having their usual breakfast of frosty silence, Murphy had stopped by their tent, his eye caught by a bucket of orange, ripe looking fruits. Jake and his Farm Station friends still hadn’t worked out if they were edible, the last fruit they had to determine and so they had sat there untouched for a day. Jake and Raine had looked on in horror as Murphy bent to the bucket, picked up one of the fruits and popped it in his mouth. Before Raine and Jake could tell him to stop he was already slouching away.

‘What? No one else gets to eat your berries?’ he called back.

They had both stood for a moment in stunned silence before Jake sighed. ‘I guess I’ll be watching over Murphy all day then’ he said, picking up his jacket and following after him. 

Now Jake stood beside Raine watching Charlotte practice.

‘So Murphy hasn’t died yet,’ he said. ‘That’s promising.’

Raine laughed, ‘I guess next time we need to know if something poisonous we just leave it out for Murphy to steal.’

He snorted in response, putting his hands in his pockets. Raine had to admit that it felt good having him there next to her again. She felt like she had so much to tell him even though only a few days had passed since they last spoke, so accustomed she was to telling him about the tiniest minutiae of her day normally. Sure, he could be quick tempered and self righteous at times but now in their first friendly conversation in days she could feel that familiar fondness she had for him resurface. 

‘So how did this come about?’ he asked, gesturing to Charlotte.

‘Bellamy asked me to teach her.’

She could see a brief look of surprise cross his face.

‘I think she was the one that asked him,’ she explained. ‘I suppose she’s just scared and wants a way to defend herself.’

‘Makes sense.’

‘I’ve convinced him to teach me self defense in return.’

He frowned, ‘You’ve asked him to teach you?’

‘Yeah,’ she shrugged. ‘Charlotte’s got a point. It’d be good to know as much as we can if we need to defend ourselves.’

She could see the look of unease on Jake’s face and she hoped this wasn’t going to turn into another fight. She felt like they were just getting back on an even keel and she didn’t have the energy to bicker with him over the small stuff anymore. Luckily Jake decided to let it drop, perhaps also feeling the same relief at their renewed friendship.

‘Well, just be careful,’ he said, smiling softly at her. 

‘I always am,’ she grinned. 

He shook his head and laughed.

‘I better get back to monitoring Murphy.’ He rolled his eyes, ‘You will not believe the stuff he gets up to in a day.’

‘I’d rather not know.’

‘Yeah, keep me in your thoughts,’ he joked before winking and walking off.

Raine smiled back before turning to Charlotte, noticing with some sadness that from the back, she could almost be mistaken for Enid.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So we're starting to get more on Raine's history now! I'll be sprinkling in clues and references to her past throughout as it really informs her behaviour. Thank you for reading and I hope you're enjoying it so far :)


	6. F*** The Ark

Raine walked to the secluded corner of the camp site where she had agreed to meet Bellamy. She had a niggling feeling in her stomach as if she had forgotten something. Something important. But it didn’t matter just now, Bellamy was already waiting for her there, sitting on a fallen tree trunk, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees as he watched her approach. She threw her canteen down next to him as he stood.

‘You ready to get your ass kicked?’ she joked.

He was looking at her wrist however, his eye falling to the Arks technology sending up her vital signals as they spoke.

‘I’ll do this on one condition,’ he said seriously.

‘There always has to be something in it for you, doesn’t there?’ she sighed, placing her hand on her hip.

He ignored her, looking at her stony-faced instead. ‘After I teach you, you remove that wristband and convince the others to take them off too.’

She paused as she stared back at him. ‘What makes you think I can convince anyone else?’

‘Because I’m pretty sure the only ones left are your friends.’

She thought it over for a moment as she looked up at him standing moodily before her. She knew there would be no way in Hell she’d take off her wristband, not whilst Enid was still up there on the Ark. As for convincing Jake, Clarke or anyone else to remove theirs too? He was giving her too much credit, she doubted they would, even if she begged them to.

But he didn’t need to know that.

All she had to do was say yes and complete the training first, his insistence on removing the wristband was next weeks problem.

‘Fine,’ she said.

‘Ok, glad we cleared that up.’

She watched as he removed his jacket revealing his slender frame and strong arms. Suddenly she had a feeling of trepidation. What had she let herself in for? She barely came up to his chest and had always been a little bit on the too slim side. She was beginning to feel thankful for her slightly broad shoulders and strong calf muscles, things that she had previously felt self conscious of. She tied her thick hair up into a bun and followed suit removing her jacket.

‘So what was it you were saying about kicking my ass?’ he smirked.

She said nothing and instead rolled her eyes at him before taking a couple of steps back.

‘Ok, come at me,’ he said spreading his arms.

‘What?’

‘Give me your best shot.’

She stared blankly at him for a second before inhaling deeply. She crouched slightly, bending at the knee, suddenly very aware of his broad chest and sturdy legs. Trying not to think on it too much she lunged at him. She didn’t get far however, she barely even noticed if she had managed to so much as touch him before she was lying flat on her back, the wind knocked from her, the rocky ground pressing into her spine.

‘Not going easy on me then?’ she choked as he held his hand out to her.

She could see the amusement in his eyes as he helped her to her feet. ‘The grounders won’t,’ he said simply.

She stretched her back, her hand holding the base of her spine which was throbbing.

‘Let’s go again,’ he grinned.

Raine got nowhere with him. No matter which way she ran at him, what angle she came from, he dodged every blow. Sometimes she ended up with her back pressed to his chest as he held her in a choke hold, other times she was back on the ground with him standing smugly over her.

‘If I didn’t know better I’d think you were enjoying this,’ she groaned as he helped her up for the umpteenth time.

‘Watch what I’m doing,’ he said. ‘You’re best weapons aren’t your fists, it’s your elbows and your knees. Let’s go again but this time I’ll go slower so you can see what I’m doing.’

She ran at him and again he stopped her only this time more slowly, grabbing her upraised arm with his hand. He held her wrist tight whilst placing his other hand around the back of her neck and nudging the back of her knee with his leg. Her knees began to give way but this time he caught her, the hand still at the base of her neck, the other falling to her waist. He leaned over her as she grabbed his shirt to keep herself up.

‘You starting to get it now?’ he asked looking down at her.

‘Barely.’

He laughed slightly before letting her up. ‘Again.’

It continued on like this for a while, she ran at him and each time she did he would stop her before slowly showing her the techniques he was using, advising her on which areas to go for first – the eyes, a palm to the nose, a knee to the crotch. She was sweating and her hair was falling loosely in strands into her eyes when Bellamy finally said they should take a break.

She followed him to the overturned tree and sat down before gulping heavily from her canteen. With her legs straight out in front of her, she adjusted her hair as she tried to catch her breath. Bellamy sat down next to her, wiping his head and tugging at his t-shirt, now clammy with sweat.

‘So,’ he said, before taking a gulp of his water, ‘you going to tell me how you ended up in the Sky Box?’

She shrugged, ‘I thought you would have guessed. Possession of an illegal weapon.’

‘The bow and arrow?’

‘That’s the one,’ she nodded.

Raine held her canteen in both hands, resting it on her legs and rolled her neck, closing her eyes against the aches and pains of being thrown to the ground repeatedly. She knew she’d pay for it tomorrow.

‘What about you?’ she asked looking over at him. ‘Are the stories true? Your mum hid Octavia under the floor for sixteen years?’

She could see his jaw tense and wondered if she should have phrased her question a little more delicately but he nodded. ‘Yep,’ he said drily. ‘Octavia was sent to the Sky Box for having the audacity to be born. My mum was floated.’

Raine sighed, kicking her feet into the dirt. ‘Fuck the Ark, huh?’

He put his canteen down on the ground. ‘Why do you still wear that wristband then?’ he asked. ‘Are your parents up there?’

‘No,’ she shook her head. ‘Both dead too.’

He barely seemed to react to the disclosure of her dead parents instead just nodding his head casually, but then most prisoners in the Ark came from broken or empty homes. Raine was no different to anyone else on the ground with their sad histories and she was sure in his short time working as a guard, he had seen more sad stories than most.

‘Do you remember the sickness in Section 28 a few years back?’ she asked.

He nodded in response.

‘That’s my section. Lost my mum to it when I was seven. I was lucky though, both our next door neighbors died and they had a daughter called Enid. She was only two at the time. My dad couldn’t stand it so he took her in.’

Bellamy sat quietly watching Raine as she spoke.

‘Then he died three ago so it ended up just me and her. Now she’s up there with no one because the Ark locked me up and sent me down here.’

He said nothing for a long time, staring into the trees up ahead of them. She realised after she had spoken that out of everyone on the ground, he might be the only one that could truly understand how she felt. He knew what it was like to protect someone you cared about.

She had an urge then to tell him how she felt like she had failed Enid, how Enid had had a rough life already and Raine had only added to her sad history now too. But what would Bellamy care? He had his own sad story to contend with.

‘Fuck the Ark,’ he repeated softly.

*

Raine walked back through the campsite, canteen in hand and mind stuck on Bellamy. It never occurred to her before that she would have something in common with the one person down here she thought she would have to watch. She glanced back, watching as Bellamy stopped to talk to Octavia, that look of concern that only a big brother can master. She wondered how many people noticed this side of him or if they only saw the leader and agitator. She wondered why it took her so long to notice it herself. Did he just slot into the role she expected of him?

She headed for her tent, hearing hushed voices and the sounds of their small fire crackling as she approached, her mind elsewhere.

‘SURPRISE!’ came a unison of voices.

Raine jumped, her hand landing on her chest as if to contain her heart that was pounding against her ribs. A group of giddy faces were sitting round the fire smiling brightly at her as laughter reached her ears. Freya was rushing towards her, arms outstretched. Atop her short blonde hair lay a crown of colourful flowers and as she released her Raine could do no more than stare at the scene in front of her in confusion.

‘Happy eighteenth birthday,’ Freya grinned.

Her eighteenth birthday. How could she have forgotten. The significance of this day if she had been on the Ark would have been overwhelming. Strange how differently life had become on the ground.

Freya had went all out. Their small camp was adorned in colourful flowers, strings of them hanging from their tents and petals strewn across the grass. Freya’s ultimate hippy dream. Everyone had obviously been told to join in with the flower theme and Raine laughed as she took in the sight of Jasper, Monty and Finn with their own smaller flower crowns, obviously adjusted for the males, whilst Clarke and Charlotte both had crowns similar to Freya’s. Jake just had one large white flower resting in his messy hair, reminding her of an egg in a nest.

‘Hope you don’t mind,’ Jasper said standing up, ‘but we invited a few friends.’ He motioned to Wells and Octavia behind her who were now walking towards where they sat.

‘The more the merrier,’ she grinned back.

Jasper gave her a hug, before draping an arm around her neck and leading her to sit in the empty space next to him.

‘Thank you guys so much,’ Raine said as Octavia and Wells sat down, smiling awkwardly at her. She could feel the heat rising in her cheeks as she blushed at the fuss they had made. ‘I totally forgot today was my birthday.’

‘We thought you might have,’ Freya said, sitting next to Jake. ‘But we didn’t. We’ve been on the ground for ten days now which means by my calculations, today is your big day.’

‘We have one more surprise for you,’ Jake said, reaching behind his back and picking up a large container. Raine could feel everyone’s eyes on her as they grinned, obviously in on the surprise.

‘I’ve been busy fermenting some fruit,’ Jake said conspiratorially, placing the container in front of her.

Raine looked from the container of purple liquid to Jake’s expectant face. ‘I don’t understand.’

‘It means now it’s really a party,’ Jasper whispered, leaning into her before outstretching his hands in fake praise. ‘Alcohol! Nectar of the Gods.’

Everyone laughed at Raine’s shocked expression as she turned back to Jake. ‘You made alcohol?’

‘You bet I did. We’ve already started,’ he said raising the cup in his hand. ‘You’ve got some catching up to do.’

Raine looked around and realised most of them did already have their own drink and she happily took the cup from Freya’s hand as she passed her one. ‘Well, this certainly beats getting floated,’ she laughed. ‘All that’s missing is some music.’

‘I could sing for you if you like,’ Jasper offered wriggling his eyebrows.

‘Oh god, please no,’ Octavia pleaded. ‘I’d rather be back in the Sky Box.’

It felt weird to spend a night on the ground with a group of people in what was, she supposed, an actual birthday party. It was even stranger to see serious people like Clarke and Jake laugh and drink with everyone, sharing stories and jokes, forgetting their responsibilities for just one night.

‘Jake’s Juice,’ (the unfortunate name for the alcohol that seemed to have stuck) whilst sickly and a little funky tasting, certainly was working and the more everyone drank the looser they became. Charlotte left for bed early into the night, having been refused any of the alcohol and spending most of her time cringing at the crude jokes and nonsensical drunken conversations. Wells now had a flower crown of his own whilst Octavia and Freya sat with their heads together, a garden of flowers around them as Freya taught Octavia how to make one for herself.

It may have been the alcohol working, but for a moment Raine had sat there quietly, looking around at her new group of friends feeling an overwhelming surge of gratitude. This was what life should always be like she thought, with stories, campfires and good friends. This was what they were all fighting for.

She looked up from the group and saw Bellamy sitting up ahead on his own, his eyes meeting hers before he quickly looked away. She wondered if he had been watching her or just keeping an eye on Octavia. How different he seemed to her now.

She grabbed one of the spare cups and filled it with some of the juice before standing and picking her way through the campsite, carrying it over to him. Wordlessly, she held it out to him and he looked at her, shadows dancing on his face before taking it.

‘Happy birthday,’ he said raising the cup to her.

‘Thank you,’ she smiled at him in response.

There was nothing more she needed to say except that she was beginning to understand him but she didn’t know how to word that. So she said nothing more and left him there, heading back to her birthday party, hoping her small gesture would have been enough.


	7. Out of Sight, Out of Mind

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer - I know some people are really particular about canon so please bear in mind that this diverges from canon a lot especially in relation to timeline which you'll find in this chapter. BUT I hope you do like it :)

The following day, Raine stood bleary eyed, feeling slightly nauseous as she watched Charlotte take aim with her bow and arrow into the nearby tree. She was able to shoot the arrow with a little more confidence now but still couldn’t quite hit the target. Raine coached her though, trying to remain encouraging and positive even when her thoughts kept drifting to her cot and the pleasure of just one more hours sleep. 

After practice Raine couldn’t say she felt too surprised when Charlotte asked if it would be ok for her to sleep in their tent that night. Some of the noises she heard through the night had kept her awake she whispered fearfully, and had fueled dreams of grounders and panthers coming to plunge her into perpetual darkness. Raine said yes and guessed it wouldn’t be long before Charlotte made it permanent. Even that morning Raine had woken up to a few of Charlotte’s possessions in their tent that she’d conveniently left behind. 

After Charlotte left, Raine saw Bellamy return to camp from the mornings hunt and had to suppress a slight groan. Training with him today was going to be akin to torture. As if he could sense this, he caught her eye, the corners of his mouth twitching. There was no way he was going to go easy on her. 

She was right. Later as she stood in their usual training area, clutching a stitch in her side, she glared at him. Bellamy wasn’t the type to laugh heartily, his amusement normally came in the form of short exhales through the nose or mocking smiles which she was facing from him now, entertained at her misfortune. 

‘Maybe next time you’ll think twice before engaging in some underaged drinking,’ he taunted. 

She wanted to fire back some witty line but her brain wasn’t cooperating well and all she could think to say was, ‘Shut up.’

‘Good comeback.’

‘I need a break,’ she sighed, slouching over to sit down on the upturned tree. 

He rolled his eyes before joining her, watching as she held her head in her hands as if she could will away the headache. She gave up finally, sitting up straight and looking into the campsite. From afar she could see Jake as he passed, looking over at her. They both shared a look, eyes wide, shaking their heads at their shared misfortune of suffering from the consequences of their actions. From beside her Bellamy shook his head. 

‘I’m surprised he made your illicit alcohol last night,’ he commented. ‘He seems like a pretty straight-laced guy.’

‘He is a straight-laced guy.’

‘I recognise his face from the Ark,’ Bellamy was saying absently, staring at the back of Jake’s head as though it could trigger a memory stored deep in his minds vault. 

‘You’ll know his dad,’ Raine said knowingly. ‘Ron Harris.’

Bellamy’s eyes widened as he turned to Raine. ‘He’s Ron Harris’ son?’

‘Yep, that’s Jake Harris.’

‘Jesus Christ,’ he said almost in a whisper. ‘That explains a lot.’

Everyone knew who Ron Harris was. His reputation preceded him and for all the wrong reasons. 

Raine nodded, ‘Yeah and he’s just as bad as you’d think. Jake’s the guy with the dad who loves the Ark and its rules more than he loves his own son. The night Freya was arrested for drugs he was the one personally searching Jake’s room to see if he was involved. He’d have marched him into the Sky Box himself if he could.’

‘Was he involved?’ 

‘No way. Jake was wanting to follow in his dad’s footsteps, had big ambitions to be a guard just like his daddy.’ 

Raine didn’t mean to sound so bitter but the combination of her hangover and memories of Mr Harris’ face as he marched her to the Sky Box hung over her like a cloud. To think Enid was now left alone with him on the Ark only fueled her feelings of contempt even more. 

‘How did he end up down here then?’ Bellamy asked. 

‘He’s always had a bad temper,’ she explained. ‘After Freya and I were arrested on the same day I think he lost his head a little. Ended up fighting with some of Freya’s drug friends. Beat one guy up pretty badly.’

Bellamy looked back at Jake, a small look of sympathy or understanding crossing his face? Raine couldn’t tell. She wasn’t sure if she should explain that Jake wasn’t like his dad at all, she could never stand to be his friend if he was but she stopped herself. Jake could vouch for himself and surely his actions down here so far spoke louder than words. Jake had never shown himself to be a threat to Bellamy.

‘Pretty colourful friends you’ve got,’ he said finally. ‘It’s one thing to be friends with a drug dealer but Ron Harris’ son?’

‘Don’t worry,’ she laughed, ‘his dad hated me. I had a criminal for a father remember.’ 

He turned to her, his expression softening slightly. ‘Wait, your dad was floated?’

She nodded in response before looking down at her hands and the Ark wristband. She wasn’t sure why she was opening up to Bellamy, perhaps the hangover was making her vulnerable and sentimental or maybe it was because he was the only one who had asked. 

‘He worked in the medical supplies store,’ she said. ‘Looked after me and Enid on his own, kept himself to himself mostly. Until one day one of his buddy’s kids got sick. The kid was the same age as me at the time and wasn’t getting any better but he’d had his ration of medicine so the Ark refused to give him anymore. The guy thought his son was going to die.’

She sat back then still not looking at Bellamy but feeling his eyes on her, telling the story cohesively even though she’d only pieced it together through snippets of information over the years. 

‘Apparently they waited until everyone was at dinner. My dad helped his friend to steal the medicine they needed. They were caught of course. Both of them floated for the crime of trying to save a kids life.’

Raine could see Bellamy’s jaw clench, his brown eyes fill with that familiar darkness as he looked at her. 

The Ron Harris’ of the world could argue that the Ark’s rules and laws had a purpose to serve the greater good and they could even argue it convincingly but Raine knew better and, she realised, so did Bellamy. Both their families had been torn apart and now both of them were down here after a serious of events that bloomed from the rotten seed the Ark had watered with it’s program of ‘justice’.

Finally Bellamy spoke. ‘Did they get the medicine to the kid?’

She nodded, ‘Yeah, he survived.’

‘Did you ever see him again?’

She smiled ruefully now, looking out at the campsite. 

‘I see him everyday,’ she said. ‘It was John Murphy.’

**John Murphy**

Raine had been only fourteen years old when she had to stand in front of her dad, staring at him behind the closed thick glass and steel doors as she waited for him to be put to death. It had been a lengthy trial on account for the fact her dad had always been a model Ark citizen, never put a toe out of line, even adopted the poor orphan from next door. But laws were laws and the death sentence had been handed down. They didn’t relish it, they had said. 

Raine was determined not to cry, in her head she had promised her dad that much. He needed to know that she could be strong, that she would manage without him. She didn’t want her dad’s last thoughts to be of worry for her. 

He wasn’t in there alone. Another man stood beside him, tears streaming down his face with his hand pressed to the glass. Beside Raine a woman was standing inconsolable, screaming in anguish as she watched her husbands final moments alongside her son, his silent tears falling down his cheeks. 

Chancellor Jaha pulled the lever, having the audacity to say ‘may we meet again’ as he did so. Raine was sure wherever Jaha was going in death, her father wouldn’t be there. 

And then she had watched silently, feeling numb as her father disappeared into the black nothingness of space. The woman beside her screamed louder than before, pushing her son away as he tried to console her. The boy caught Raine’s eye for a moment, as if looking for some comfort himself that he could find in her, but Raine turned from him and left, not wanting to suffuse herself in this pain for a second longer. 

Life on the Ark didn’t seem to even blink after someone was floated. It was the understood reality that happened somewhere else that they didn’t have to bear witness to. The unspoken mantra that worked best for everyone here – _out of sight, out of mind._

And so the next day Raine found herself getting on with life as if it could ever be the same, her dad’s empty bed in their dorm, his shirts still hanging by the door, the smell of him on everything. She made her way down the corridors, not even noticing the people that passed her by, thankfully missing their infuriating looks of sympathy. 

He had called on her then, run up from behind and walked in step alongside her. The boy from the worst day of her life. Once he got to her words failed him however and he looked at her blankly. She said nothing, ignoring him until eventually he retreated with pink cheeks. 

Everywhere she went she’d spot him out of the corner of her eye, watching her as she kissed Enid goodbye each morning, as she pretended to listen in class, as she ate in the mess hall. His name was John, she knew that much, she didn’t care to know the rest. 

After month three of watching her, the two found themselves paired together for an assignment in class where he made another attempt to talk to her.

‘It’s Raine isn’t it?’ he had asked. She merely nodded in response. 

‘I’m John.’

He tapped his pencil on the desk, waiting impatiently for her to respond. 

‘So what do you think of Mrs Lee?’ he said motioning to their teacher. ‘What an old bitch, huh?’

‘Can we just get on with finishing this.’ 

He didn’t attempt to talk to her again after that and by month five he’d finally given up too on what she guessed was supposed to be his stealthy attempts to follow her. 

By month seven she found she hardly saw him at all. He missed some classes, skipped some meals and had withdrawn from conversations with others. Until one day when she had seen him sitting in the mess hall looking gaunt, staring vacantly at the food in front of him. She sighed and against her better judgment walked to his table, taking the empty seat across from him. He didn’t even look up at her until she lifted the bread roll from her tray and held it out to him. 

‘You look like you need this more than me,’ she said. 

He looked at her as if surprised to find himself in the mess hall and to see someone speaking to him. She had to place the roll on his tray after he didn’t take it from her hand. They had eaten in silence that day but at least he had ate, it was the first she had seen him do that in weeks.

By month eight she had heard the rumours in class about his mother. She was drinking a lot they said, John sometimes came to class with bruises on his arm, one time a fresh one on his face. The teachers had tried talking to him but he had started to develop an attitude. Everyone gave up on him quickly, it was hard to sympathise with someone who wasn’t very likable. 

And then finally by month nine he knocked on her door. 

It was late, Enid was already asleep and Raine couldn’t hide the look of surprise on her face when she saw him standing there. He looked terrible – pale and thin with a new hint of darkness in his eyes that had matured his face to look much older than the fifteen years old that he was. 

‘Do you want to go for a walk with me?’ he asked. 

Raine cast a quick glance at Enid, youthful and angelic as she slept, before nodding and stepping into the corridor with him. 

‘You don’t look so good,’ she commented as they walked side by side. 

He said nothing, his chin jutting out. He had developed a swagger now too she noticed, as if poised to fight the whole damn world if he needed to. 

‘How do you do it?’ he asked shortly. 

‘Do what?’

‘Get on with life as if you didn’t see them murder your dad.’

The abruptness of the question stopped her for a moment. She glanced at him but he barely looked at her, instead watching the odd person walk past them in the corridor, oblivious to the fury encased in the young boy they smiled at as they passed. 

‘I just have to,’ she said. 

‘I’d kill them all if I could. Burn this place down to ashes and watch them die.’

She understood what he meant even if it sounded melodramatic coming from a teenage boy. The reality was if it wasn’t for Enid she would have joined him. Why else would she have took up the bow and arrow?

‘You can’t dwell on it. You need to find something to sustain you. Like your mother, she needs you.’

He laughed derisively. ‘She’ll drink herself to death and good riddance when she does.’

Raine sighed. ‘Look, it’s not easy John, trust me, I know.’

He looked at her at the sound of his name, his visible anger subsiding slightly. She could see then a longing in him, a need to connect, to feel something beyond sadness and rage. But she knew she couldn’t give him that. She had carefully avoided him all this time for a reason, the same reason she found even looking upon his face now difficult. 

Because the truth was every time she looked at him she saw that day. Every time she saw his sadness she saw her dads final sad smile to her through the glass. And every time she felt his anger it burned in herself. 

‘I don’t know what else you want me to say,’ she said finally. 

John’s mum died by month twelve, almost one year to the day after his dad. At sixteen years old, John was arrested after setting fire to his fathers arresting officer’s quarters. Disturbingly Raine found herself feeling a thrill of pleasure on hearing the news, hoping John had succeeded in burning it to ashes and watching them die as he’d hoped. But he hadn’t. The guard had merely been inconvenienced before being moved to another dorm to stay in. 

Raine found herself wallowing in a silent guilt for some time after this, still looking for his face in the mess hall, berating herself for not trying harder, reaching out to him more.

But if she was being honest with herself, in the deeper, darker recesses of her mind, she admitted that not having John Murphy around made her life a little easier. She could go on every day thinking of her dads death, but without John around she didn’t have to feel it too, to relive it.

Without him, she could be like everyone else on the Ark. 

_Out of sight, out of mind._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eeek! This was one of my favourite chapters to write, I don't know what that says about me :/
> 
> Anyways, I do hope you like it. And what about last nights episode huh? JESUS


	8. Calm Before the Storm

Training had become part of Raine’s daily routine now – mornings with Charlotte and evenings with Bellamy. She’d coach Charlotte every day, barely noticing now the aches and bruises from whatever new move she’d learned the night before in her own lessons. She actually even found herself enjoying her nightly combats with Bellamy. He was obviously stronger than her and in a real fight she’d never win against him but she was starting to catch him off guard sometimes. She always felt a thrill of excitement when she saw Bellamy’s impressed face. She was a quick learner, he had said, but when your options are fight or die, she supposed she had no other choice. 

He had promised her only a few days of training but they had lasted much longer than that. She didn’t remind him though, her evenings with Bellamy were something she now looked forward to. Freya and Jake however, seemed less enthused. She noticed their subtle looks to one another whenever she left to meet him, spotted them glancing at her bruises or waiting up late for her to return. 

So, it was no surprise to her when it was Jake who finally brought it up before she set off to meet him again, Freya sitting quietly. 

‘I’m curious,’ Jake said in the voice of someone trying hard to sound indifferent. ‘Why is he only training you? Wouldn’t it make more sense to train a whole bunch of people at once?’

Raine shrugged, ‘I’m the only one who asked.’

Jake sat quietly after this but she could tell he wasn’t satisfied with her answer.

‘Hmm,’ he said after some thought. ‘No, surely he must be getting something out of it.’

Raine said nothing as she crouched down, searching through her backpack for her water canteen. She could feel both of their eyes on her as she tried to keep her face blank. 

‘He is getting something from it,’ Jake said looking at her face, an almost triumphant tone in his voice. He could always read her. ‘What did you promise him? You’re not sleeping with him, are you?’

‘Of course not!’ Raine exclaimed. 

‘Then what is it?’

She put the backpack down at her feet, still crouching as she looked up at him. ‘I promised I would remove my wristband after he finished teaching me. And that I’d convince you and the others to do the same.’

She knew she’d have to tell him eventually and she knew he wouldn’t react well to the news but she wasn’t quite prepared for his anger to be so palpable. 

‘What?’ he said slowly, colour rising in his cheeks. 

‘Jake-‘ 

‘Who do you think you are?!’ he whispered incredulously. 

Raine could only look back at him, a nervousness in her chest. This was a different anger from him, not loud and confronting like usual but quiet, building in a steady crescendo. Even the air around them seemed to shift at his words like a calm before the storm. It felt dangerous.

He snorted in disbelief as he shook his head, his eyes ablaze. ‘Since when did you decide you get to make decisions for me?’

‘I’m not,’ she said quickly. ‘I was just making him believe I would take it off, I wasn’t actually going to do it or tell you to do the same.’

‘Well isn’t that just a flawless plan!’ His voice was starting to rise now in a restrained way that told Raine he was trying hard not to roar at her. ‘He has a gun or did you forget that part? He’s dangerous! But I’m guessing you forgot that part too. What did you think? That you’d get your little self defense 101 certificate at the end and just say welp, sorry, not actually keeping to my side of the deal and he’d be ok with that?!’

‘No, I-‘

‘Then what Raine?!’ he was shouting now, a few of the other delinquents threw curious glances in their direction. 

‘Jake,’ Freya started softly, placing a hand on his shoulder. 

‘No!’ he snapped at her. ‘Don’t you dare defend her this time Freya.’

Freya sighed and sat back, her eyes turning back to Raine. Raine could see the disappointment in Freya’s face, looking at her with a look that said ‘you’ve really done it this time’. As Raine looked back at them both she felt a sudden wave of separation crash between them, creating a gulf too deep to navigate through. 

‘Since the day we got to the ground, you’ve been on this one-man mission to save us all,’ Jake said slowly, spite dripping from every word. ‘Delegating tasks. “Jake you’re the berry picker, Freya you’re the builder”. Not once did you ask us if that was what we wanted. But we went along, watched as you manipulated people here into thinking they were really your friends, watched as you whispered with Bellamy every night whilst we sat and waited for you to speak to us too. We even said nothing when you’d spend all day in that dropship whilst we worked our asses off out here to make this campsite a little safer.’ 

Raine sat quietly, feeling his words wash over her, enveloping her in a cloak of shame. 

‘Well, congratulations Raine, you got what you wanted. You’re part of the in-crowd now. In with the elite, making decisions for everyone else, just like the Ark. I hope it’s everything you ever dreamed it would be.’

Without another word, he stood and walked from her, Freya throwing her once last glance before quickly following. Raine could barely catch her breath as she sat there in stunned silence, she could feel others in the camp still looking at her curiously. She gulped and stood up straight, turning her back to the camp, trying hard to ignore the lump in her throat. She lifted her canteen to her lips and gulped down some water as if that could wash it away, cleanse her sadness. 

‘Archer, let’s go,’ she heard Bellamy’s voice call from behind her.

She inhaled deeply, shaking her head of the lingering guilt and regret before following him, barely paying attention to the whispers that followed. Her mind was racing with thoughts too quickly to seize and analyse properly, things she should have said, ways she could have convinced Jake that he was wrong. She wasn’t making decisions for him, she wasn’t manipulating people, she was just trying to do what she needed to do. 

But… a voice in her head said, what if Jake was right? Didn’t she enjoy the fact that Bellamy came to her when he needed help with Charlotte? That Clarke confided in her when they spoke about the Ark? That Jasper and Monty always greeted her with a smile when she joined them in the dropship? When Finn whispered about his girl troubles to her? And did she ever try involve Jake and Freya in any of this?

Was everything she had done really for all three of them or just for herself?

‘You’re not listening.’

Raine looked up to see they had made it to their training spot, Bellamy looking at her, a hand on his hip and frustration in his eyes. He had been speaking to her, she realised. 

‘Sorry,’ she apologised. 

‘You need to pay attention,’ he said. ‘We can’t keep training forever. Take this seriously.’

‘I am taking it seriously,’ she snapped. She ran her fingers through her hair, exhaling deeply as he looked at her in surprise. She hadn’t meant for her voice to come out so high or so sharp. ‘Let’s just do this,’ she said more softly.

‘Is everything ok?’ he asked. 

‘It’s fine.’

He nodded, seemingly happy not to deal with whatever it was she was going through. ‘Ok, well-‘

‘- no actually, it’s not fine,’ she was speaking quickly, her words tumbling out faster than she could catch them. ‘Why do you need me to remove this wristband?’

He looked at her for a moment, taken aback by her swift tone. ‘We had a deal,’ he said as if that ended the conversation.

‘That’s not what I asked.’

‘We don’t need the Ark,’ he said. ‘The sooner everyone removes their wristband, the sooner we can get on with surviving down here on our own.’

It sounded to her like a rehearsed speech. Just hollow and meaningless words thrown together to conjure some kind of meaning. Well everyone else in the camp may have fallen for it but she needed more than that. 

‘That doesn’t even make sense,’ she said. ‘I don’t need the Ark but I need Enid and you know that. Everyone here has someone up there. So why are you making us take them off?’

He said nothing, his voice restrained as he spoke. ‘I don’t need to explain myself to you.’

‘Yes! Actually, you do if you want me to go along with your little plan!’

‘We had a deal,’ he repeated through gritted teeth.

‘Screw your deal!’ she shouted.

He looked at her, anger flashing across his dark features. ‘Who was your bow and arrow for?’

She glared back at him, shaking her head. ‘Don’t change the subject.’

‘I’m not,’ he said, a knowing look in his eyes. ‘Who was it for?’

She said nothing, her fists clenched at her side, that familiar flume of anger spiraling in her chest.

‘Come on,’ he pressed. ‘You tell me your dad was floated three years ago and that you got locked up for a bow and arrow you’ve been practising with ever since. You put yourself at risk even though you knew it could leave Enid on her own, the one person you care about the most. I know it’s related to your dad dying, so who pissed you off so much you were willing to risk everything, to commit murder?’

‘What does it matter?’

He took a step towards her. ‘It matters because you think you’re so different to me but you’re not, not really.’

‘What are you talking about?’

‘You really want to know how I got on that dropship?’ he asked, he was still coming towards her, closing the gap between them as his voice lowered. ‘Tell me who the bow and arrow was for.’

Her lips were pursed together as she scowled at him standing so close to her now.

‘Marcus Kane,’ she said finally, spitting the name from her mouth. ‘You happy now? He was the one that caught my dad, he was the one that could have turned a blind eye to it or even just told them to put the medicine back. But no, he had them arrested, ran straight to Chancellor Jaha. I wanted to put an arrow right between his eyes. I wanted him to die just like my dad had died.’

He nodded, a slight smirk on his face that fueled her rage. ‘See, you’re just like me. The difference is I don’t make plans and get caught. I just do it.’

‘Do what?’

‘I shot Chancellor Jaha,’ he said. ‘He’s dead.’

*

Raine sat on the uprooted tree, her elbows on her knees, back hunched as she tried to breathe slowly. How was it possible to feel so many emotions at once, she thought, and for not one of them to feel good. Bellamy was standing in front of her expectantly, waiting for her to speak. 

‘Does anyone else know?’ she asked finally. 

‘No. Just you.’

She hated the flush of pleasure than ran through her then, knowing he’d confided in only her. She was trying to gather her thoughts, trying to piece together how she could have missed this. The clues were there, she could see that now but even still none of it made any sense. 

‘Why?’ she asked.

He shuffled from one foot to the other before replying. ‘They told me they were sending the prisoners to the ground. Said if I shot Jaha I’d get a spot on the dropship. I couldn’t let Octavia go without me.’

‘Who’s they?’

He paused, looking at her for a brief second before shaking his head. ‘It’s best you don’t know that part. For your own safety.’

She nodded, unsure if she even wanted to know. She could feel Bellamy’s heavy gaze on her, waiting for her to say more. 

What more was there to say? He was right, she was exactly like him. She probably would have even made the same decision if it was Enid that had been on the drop ship and the offer had been made to her. Did this mean Jake was right too? Was she more like Bellamy and his ruthless hanger-on’s than she was like considerate Freya or logical Jake?

Bellamy sat next to her, the silence proving too overbearing for him. She could feel him still looking at her, waiting for her chiding or disapproval. Instead she turned her head to him, her eyes meeting his. 

‘That’s why I’ve been getting people to take their wristbands off Raine,’ he said softly. ‘If they come down here, they’re going to execute me.’

‘They might not know it was you.’

He shook his head. ‘They’ll know by now.’

She knew it was true. He’d be missing on the Ark and the Chancellor would be dead, it wouldn’t take them long to put two and two together.

‘I can’t take it off Bellamy, not whilst Enid is up there. She needs to know I’m still here.’

‘Raine,’ Bellamy said. It was the second time he had used her name, no longer calling her archer. ‘Do you really think Enid is the one reading your vital signs up there? She won’t even know you’re down here. Your information is there on a screen being read by people like Marcus Kane.’

Raine sat quietly absorbing his words, letting them reinforce the theories she had already worried about when she had lain in bed at night. Enid didn’t know where she was. She had known it all along, Bellamy had only cemented that truth. 

‘If they think you’re still alive down here,’ he continued, ‘it won’t be Enid they send down to find you either. The council will be the ones coming for you if any come at all.’

Her eyes dropped to her wristband, the small ‘E’ reflecting back up at her, scratched and sharp but fading now. Slowly she nodded, feeling her eyes prickling with tears. Bellamy pulled a knife from his belt, handing it to her but she let it hang there between them. 

She held her wrist out to him. ‘You do it,’ she whispered. 

She could see the look of resignation in his eyes, reflecting her own feelings. It was the Ark that had done this to them, the Ark that found new and cruel ways to make them feel grief every single day even when they were down here, far away from its ominous shadows. 

He took her wrist in his hand gently, his calloused fingers brushing against her skin. He slid the knife under the band and with one final glance at her, pulled at it. She grimaced as she heard the crack of the wristband releasing, the tiny scabs that had formed where the pins had pierced her tearing from her skin, leaving small pricks of blood in their wake. 

Tears fell down her cheeks and she rushed to wipe them away as Bellamy held the wristband out to her. She took it from him, their eyes meeting, a fleeting moment of understanding between them. She hadn’t realised how close he was sitting next to her, their knees touching in the dark as the moon seemed to illuminate the air around them, casting shadows on his face. 

They sat caught up in their own moment, oblivious to the shouts and excited murmurings rippling through the campsite until her attention was suddenly caught by something above his head, streaking through the sky. She glanced at it as he turned to look too, dragging his eyes from her face. It was brighter than any star, travelling fast above their heads as it came down.

It was a dropship.

*

Raine walked back to her tent in a daze as Bellamy rushed ahead, meeting with Clarke and the others. She didn’t have the energy to investigate for herself. Her heart was heavy as she touched the bare skin on her wrist where the Arks band had once been. She knew Enid wouldn’t be on a dropship that small and really that was all she cared about. She saw Murphy glance at her, noticing the tears on her cheeks that she hadn’t bothered to wipe away but even that couldn’t stop her as she trudged on in silence.

Thankfully Jake and Freya weren’t there when she lifted the flap to their small tent, she supposed they had also rushed out at the sight of the dropship, filled with misplaced hope. Charlotte was already asleep in Raine’s bed, her hair splayed under her, her breathing deep. Raine kicked off her shoes and climbed in beside her. There really wasn’t enough room for two in these small cots but she didn’t mind. 

She closed her eyes, feeling Charlotte’s warm body beside her, reminding her of the nights she used to lie with Enid, whispering ghost stories and giggling in the dark. 

She was never going to see Enid again. 

She repeated those words in her head, tried to let the reality of them sink in but it didn’t feel real. Even when she was in the Sky Box, facing the prospect of being floated she hadn’t truly believed it would be the end. 

She had lost everyone she had ever loved. Her mum, her dad and now Enid. Even her two best friends couldn’t stand the sight of her. 

She had nothing, she thought. The Ark had finally won.


	9. Bloodstained

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I think the stage has been set now and it's pretty much all drama from here. I'm excited to finally share it all with you!
> 
> Disclaimer as always - although plot lines follow that of the first season, timelines do not. Please know that certain elements have been changed and this is not a canon-compliant story.

She had pretended to be asleep that night when she heard Jake and Freya return to the tent. She didn’t think she could stand to be around Jake’s furious silence or Freya’s small sad smiles of reassurance. The next morning she had woken Charlotte whilst everyone had still slept, whispering to her that they should start practice a little earlier. Charlotte had grumbled and yawned as she got ready whilst Raine waited outside in the cold for her. 

A few hours later Raine was looking on with a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes as Charlotte whooped in delight, her fist in the air. 

‘Hey Bellamy,’ she called. ‘Come see!’

Bellamy looked up from where he was sitting not far away. His eyes were on Raine as he approached and she wondered why he had been sitting so near their tent as opposed to his own tent or his usual spot pacing by the dropship. Charlotte placed the arrow into the string and lined up the shot, her tongue sticking out the side of her mouth as she concentrated. She released and they all watched as the arrow flew through the air, missing it’s target but landing in the tree all the same, it’s point impaled in the bark. 

‘Good going,’ Bellamy nodded approvingly. 

‘So close now!’ she grinned, running forward to pull the arrow out of the tree. 

‘Hey Charlotte,’ he said. ‘There’s some food by the dropship for breakfast, you should go get some.’

She nodded and dropped the bow and arrow before skipping away from them. Bellamy watched her go, waiting until she was out of earshot before turning to Raine, his normal serious expression back on his face. 

‘We went out to the dropship,’ he said quietly. ‘It was from the Ark.’

She stood in silence in front of him. She was surprised at how little she felt at this news, how little she cared. Bellamy didn’t seem to notice however and continued, ‘It was a girl from engineering, she’d managed to get some hundred year old dropship operational. Her names Raven.’

‘Wait,’ Raine said, holding up her hands. She knew that name, recognised it from the stories on her mornings spent hunting. ‘Finn’s Raven?’

He shrugged, ‘I guess so. She has a radio. She might be able to contact the Ark with it but we have to wait for it to dry out. Don’t ask.’ He added at her confused look.

A radio. She could feel her heart flutter and a small glimmer of hope in her chest, a feeling she hadn’t felt in a while. They could let the Ark know it was safe to come down, she could even speak to Enid. Perhaps she would see her again after all. 

‘That’s not all,’ Bellamy said lowering his voice, casting his eyes around them before speaking. ‘Jaha’s not dead.’

Raine stared back at him, letting the news hang in the air between them for a moment. ‘What?’

‘Apparently I’m a lousy shot.’

‘Bellamy,’ she said quickly, a smile playing on her face despite herself. ‘This means you’re not a murderer. They won’t execute you. We can tell the Ark everything, get them down here.’

He nodded slowly although there was a reserved look on his face as if he didn’t quite believe her. ‘Who knows,’ he shrugged. ‘I never thought I’d be glad to hear Chancellor Jaha’s alive though.’

She laughed and shook her head at the irony of it all as Bellamy smiled back at her. 

Behind her she heard footsteps approaching and they both turned to see Jake and Freya returning to their tent from breakfast. Jake’s eyes were locked on her and Bellamy, a red hot look of rage darkening his features. Raine suddenly became aware of how close Bellamy was standing to her and how it must have looked to Jake, the two of them whispering together, sharing secrets he wasn’t privy to. With a jolt however, she realised it wasn’t just how it looked, it was how it was. 

And that’s when it hit her. Jake was right after all, Bellamy was telling her about the dropship for a reason. She was part of the in-crowd.

‘I guess I should go,’ Bellamy said to her quietly, noticing Jake’s disapproval.

‘Yeah,’ she said, shooting him an apologetic look. 

He turned to leave, thankfully not questioning the changed dynamics between Raine and her friends.

‘Oh wait,’ he said, stopping in his tracks. ‘Have you seen Octavia?’

She shook her head. 

He sighed and rolled his eyes, ‘I haven’t seen her since this morning.’

‘It’s Octavia,’ she shrugged. ‘She’ll be out chasing butterflies.

‘Yeah,’ he said, not convinced. ‘That’s what Clarke said.’  
  


*

Raine was sitting at the fire by the dropship using twine to attach stone arrowheads to some long, thin sticks. She had spent most of the day there, first completing her new bow before moving on to the arrows. The bow was much larger than her last one, running the length of her armspan, with a tightly bound string connecting it’s ends. Much more powerful than anything she had used before. 

Keeping herself busy was the only way she could get through the day. Even in all her time in the Sky Box, she had never felt as alone as she did now. She had left Freya and Jake sitting with Charlotte at their tent, feeling like her presence there only provoked a brittle atmosphere. It was best to leave them alone to enjoy each others company in peace. 

Everyone else was busy too. Clarke and the new girl Raven had left the camp earlier that day to find a missing part for the radio Raven planned on fixing. They returned not long after, an awkward tension between them that Raine guessed was fueled by their shared history with Finn, before joining Monty in the dropship to get to work. Bellamy, Jasper and Finn had left with a few others earlier on a mission to find Octavia. Her stomach twisted in knots when she thought of them. They had been gone far too long.

She sat working away, occasionally glancing up at the sounds of laughter drifting from nearby. John Murphy sat with three other boys, apparently entertaining them with his stories. From the look of the girls sitting near them she guessed his stories were crude and tasteless. She had watched as he had paraded around the campsite that day, far from the watchful eye of Bellamy or Clarke. He seemed to relish in the discomfort of those around him, thrive under their dirty looks. 

How did the sad, teenage boy she once knew give in so completely to his reputation? It seemed when she thought of him she could split him into two different people – John on the Ark and Murphy on the ground.

He was standing now, aiming his knife into a tree a few feet in front of him. On his first attempt the handle bounced off and landed on the ground causing one of the boys to chuckle, he quickly stopped however under the dangerous look Murphy threw him. His second try however proved more successful, the knife lodging itself deeply into the tree, driven by Murphy’s rage. As he turned from pulling it out, he caught Raine’s eye. She tried to pretend she hadn’t been looking, quickly looking back down at her arrows but he’d noticed her, she had seen the small smile play on his lips. 

She heard him walking towards her and she inhaled. A conversation with John Murphy was not what she needed right now.

They were interrupted however by the screams of Jasper as he threw open the entrance to the campsite. ‘CLARKE! Get Clarke now!’

It seemed like suddenly the whole campsite’s attention was fixed on Jasper and his frantic yelling as Clarke emerged from the dropship. 

And then Raine’s heart stopped as Bellamy entered the camp grim-faced, carrying Finn, a bloodied knife protruding from his stomach. Raven ran towards them in a panic, her long dark hair in a high ponytail, worry etched on her face as she murmered ‘Oh my God,’ at the sight of him.

They rushed him into the dropship as Raine stood up watching the panic unfold, her heart racing. More were coming through the entrance now. Octavia first, rage etched across her bloodstained face, and then two more. Except they weren’t alone. 

Blindfolded and unconscious as they carried him between them was a grounder. If she cringed at how much blood covered Octavia, it was nothing compared to him. His dark skin was covered in blood, his bald head scratched and bleeding. He was huge and under his layers of clothing Raine could see his arms and legs as thick as tree trunks, his chest strong and wide. 

She felt someone grip her hand tightly and turned to see Charlotte staring at the grounder, wide-eyed and pale, panic etched across her face. 

‘Why have they brought him here?’ she squeaked, unable to look away. 

‘I don’t know,’ was all Raine could reply. Charlotte was squeezing her hand, her knuckles white with the effort.

‘Hey,’ Raine said, crouching in front of her, placing her hands on her shoulders. ‘We won’t let anything happen to you ok? Go wait in the tent and get your bow and arrow, that’ll keep you safe.’

Charlotte nodded before running back to the tent. Raine stood there amidst the chaos of the campsite, feeling completely helpless. She wanted nothing more than to run into the dropship, to help save Finn, to help with the radio. But what did she have to offer? How could she ever think she had a useful role to play here? Anyone can shoot a bow and arrow to become a hunter, even Charlotte was learning. 

From the corner of her eye she could see Freya and Jake standing together, eyes on the grounder as he was dragged into the dropship, a look of disquiet etched on both of their faces. The grounders feet had barely disappeared under the parachute covered entrance when the whisperings around the campsite began. 

_‘Bellamy’s going to teach him a lesson.’_

_‘He’s going to get answers from that dirty grounder once and for all.’_

And she believed them. Because deep down, she knew that this was what Bellamy was. This was what he was capable of.

Jake caught her eye then, the rage gone. She could see then what he had been trying to tell her all along; 

Bellamy was dangerous. 


	10. Foxfire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a lil short one but a pivotal one. Hope you enjoy :)

Jake and Raine sat in silence outside their tent, Raine staring at the ground as she tried to ignore the sick feeling in her stomach every time she thought of Finn in the dropship. Sweet Finn the ‘spacewalker’ who had girl problems and liked making tiny sculptures of animals. Raine knew that Clarke’s basic medical skills wouldn’t get him out of this one. 

Word had spread throughout camp that the radio was working, thank God for Raven, but no one dared to speak hopefully about what having contact with the Ark might mean. The atmosphere was too grave. Freya however needed more information than that and couldn’t stand the not knowing. She had left some time ago, making her way to the dropship to check on Finn’s progress. They watched as she returned now, her face ashen, her eyes dazed in shock. 

‘I’ve just spoken to Jasper,’ she said sitting down. Both Jake and Raine leaned forward, hungry for any information they could get yet terrified of what they didn’t know yet.

‘Bellamy tortured the grounder.’

Raine heard herself gasp. ‘What?’

‘So, this is who we are now?’ Jake spat, throwing the grass he had been nervously pulling from the ground into the fire angrily.

‘No,’ Freya shook her head, her soft voice absolute. ‘This is who Bellamy is, not us.’

Freya’s eyes met Jake’s as they both shared a meaningful look, that familiar pang of being an outsider stinging at Raine. 

‘The knife the grounder used was poisonous,’ she continued, looking between both of them. ‘He had a bunch of vials, I think Jasper said, but wouldn’t tell them which one was the antidote. Bellamy kept hurting him, a few others too but he wouldn’t say.’ Freya spoke with difficulty as if she had been there to witness the violence herself. ‘It was Octavia that got it from him in the end. She cut herself with the knife. He told them which vial it was to save her.’

Raine frowned. ‘Why would he save Octavia?’ 

‘I have no idea.’

‘So, Finn’s going to be ok?’ Jake asked urgently.

She nodded. ‘It looks like it. Clarke used the radio to speak to her mum who helped guide her through the procedure so we’ll just have to wait and see.’

Jake heaved a sigh of relief, running a hand through his messy hair. 

‘Wait,’ Raine said, still trying to process Freya’s words. ‘So, Bellamy tortured the grounder to get information to save Finn?’ 

Freya’s head snapped to her, a look of disbelief in her eyes. ‘Didn’t you hear anything I just said? He didn’t have to; the grounder gave it to Octavia.’

And here it was, Raine thought. Freya’s gentleness, her unwillingness to do the things that had to be done to survive and to save their friends. 

‘But he didn’t know that, right?’ she pressed.

‘He didn’t wait to find out,’ Freya argued. ‘He just tortured another human being Raine.’

They both stared at each other for a moment, at a pivotal crossroads in their friendship. A conversation that regular friends shouldn’t have to have with each other yet here they were. 

‘I’d do the same thing to save you,’ Raine said to her quietly.

‘I wouldn’t want you to.’

They held each other’s gaze for a moment before the three of them sat in silence. How far she had drifted from her friends in such a short period of time, friends that she had had her whole life on the Ark but who had completely imploded after a month on the ground. She expected being down here to make living harsher but she hadn’t expected it to infect every facet of her existence, spreading into the fibers of who she was, into the bonds she had with those most important to her.

And was there a right or wrong answer? Did either of them have the moral high ground? Sure, Freya could argue that torture is obviously wrong, but is letting your friend die because of your pacifist beliefs any better? The grounders had been picking them off one by one and apparently Freya would have let them. 

Raine looked up to the dropship just in time to see Bellamy march out of it, bloodied and angry. Even from here she could feel his rage. Without thinking she stood and followed him, leaving her friends behind who didn’t ask where she was going or try to stop her. Probably relieved at her absence, she thought sadly. 

He had disappeared into his tent, leaving the entrance flapping in his wake. She entered after him to see him sitting on his cot, head in his hands. His knuckles were swollen and bleeding, the aftermath of his decisions visible for her to see. She was silent as she entered but he must have sensed her as he looked up at her standing there silently. 

‘If you’ve come to have a go at me you can leave. I’ve heard it all already,’ he growled. 

She shook her head. ‘Come, I want to show you something.’

He looked at her for a moment. Raine waited for him to tell her no but he didn’t, instead he sighed and shook his head in defeat, as if he didn’t have it in him to refuse her. 

She left the tent, hearing his heavy steps behind her as she walked, both of them ignoring the inquisitive faces of everyone as they followed Bellamy with their eyes, their whisperings ringing in her ears. 

‘Where are we going?’ Bellamy asked as she led him away from the campsite, outside of the wall and into the forest. 

She didn’t reply and kept walking. Truthfully, she didn’t understand why it was so important for her to do this, she only knew that it felt right. She of all people knew what it was to feel alone amongst friends. 

‘We shouldn’t be out here,’ he snapped. ‘It’s dangerous, they need us back at camp.’

‘They’ll manage five minutes with you Bellamy.’

He sighed but she could still hear him following behind her as she stepped over branches, straining her eyes in the darkness, willing the bright moon to lead the way. Up ahead she could see a faint glow, growing brighter as they neared. 

And then finally they emerged into a clearing that seemed to glow back at them. The dark branches on the trees snaked and twisted towards the sky, boulders on the ground standing guard before them, and all of it coated here and there in a vibrant green hue. She smiled and stepped closer, inspecting the glow-in-the-dark fungi that had blossomed in various spots, the vivid splashes of colour brilliant in the darkness. 

She turned to Bellamy and watched as his eyes roved quickly over the display, as if they couldn’t take it all in quick enough.

‘What is this?’ he asked her finally. 

‘It’s called foxfire,’ she answered. ‘Bioluminescence created in decaying wood. They used to call it fairy fire once upon a time.’

He nodded although he wasn’t looking at her. He bent closer to the tiny glowing fungi, the luminosity reflecting in his face. She stepped towards him and he stood up straight, facing her at the sound of branches snapping under her feet. 

‘I know you’re not the type to get sentimental at glow in the dark fungi,’ she said. ‘But I wanted to show you this. I wanted to remind you why we do the things we have to do. This is our home Bellamy, and we deserve to be here. We deserve to see things like this, to celebrate birthdays by the campfire or to leave our tent without fear.’

She hadn’t realised that her feet had carried her closer to him as she talked. She was right in front of him now. Even in the darkness she could make out the freckles on his face, see the way his hair fell to brush the top of his eyelashes.

‘You’re only doing what needs to be done, I know that. The others might not realise it yet but the reality is they need you.’ She looked up at him. ‘I need you,’ she whispered. 

Then without thinking she was on her tiptoes, pressing her lips to his, her hands resting on his chest as her heart hammered. She kissed him once before pulling away, waiting for his reaction. His eyes were searching her face, a look of surprise clouding his features. 

She felt her breathing shallow as she waited, until suddenly his hands were gripping her waist and his lips were crashing back down on to hers. He was pulling her in close as if he could absorb her into his own body, his kisses frantic and ardent as his hands wrapped tightly around her whilst she snaked her hands into his hair, her fingers lost in the strands. 

And so the two of them kissed in the forest under the moon, surrounded by the eerie glow from the decaying trees.


	11. You're Going to Pay

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to add a disclaimer as always - this is not a canon compliant story. This chapter contains events that happened in season 1 but with some deviations. I hope you still enjoy it though and thanks everyone for your comments and kudos so far :)

To say Bellamy was talk of the camp the next day would be an understatement. Everywhere she went she heard his name whispered, felt the judgment in the air and saw the eyes that followed him. It seemed he had finally crossed an invisible line. They all knew it would only have been a matter of time, they agreed in hushed voices. Raine gritted her teeth remembering their ghoulish excitement the night before knowing a grounder was going to “get what was coming to him”. How fickle they were.

Even Jake and Freya had kept up an incessant commentary on the lacking morals of Bellamy Blake. Raine had said nothing, biting her tongue so much she worried she’d chew it off. She wished they would stop talking about it in front of Charlotte however, who was especially jumpy this morning, eyes wide, hanging on every word of their conversation.

She didn’t dare tell either of them about her moment in the forest with him. She was trying not to think about the feel of his arms wrapped around her or his kisses, scared that Jake and Freya would be able to read it on her face. Another secret to be kept between her and Bellamy. 

Raine had barely been paying attention to Freya and Jake’s whisperings until she saw Freya lean forward, the calm sea of her deep blue eyes replaced by a storm of crashing fury. Raine couldn’t remember the last time she had seen Freya’s face so distorted in anger. 

‘All this time,’ she was saying, ‘he was feeding us this crap about how we didn’t need the Ark. How we should all take our wristbands off because we were better off without them but that wasn’t the case at all. He was only doing it to save his own skin.’

Raine’s heart dropped, she knew what was coming. 

‘He shot Chancellor Jaha,’ she seethed. ‘Jaha survived but he didn’t know that. He wanted the Ark to think we had all died so they wouldn’t come down here and execute him for murder.’

Charlotte’s eyes were fixed on Freya, her face ghost-like and drenched in worry. Jake however, was looking at Raine, his eyes falling to her wrist and the pale patch of skin left by the wristband that once rested there. 

‘You knew,’ he said quietly to her. 

Raine said nothing and looked back at him. Jake could always read her however and shook his head, looking away from her as Freya’s eyes flashed.

‘You knew?!’ she repeated angrily. ‘I took my wristband off for him! And you knew?!’

‘Enough!’ Raine snapped. She stood up and ran her fingers through her hair in exasperation. ‘Bellamy didn’t pin you down and force that wristband off of you Freya, you took it off yourself because you had given up on the Ark.’

She grabbed her bow and arrow and looked down at both of them sitting before her, staring up at her in stunned silence. ‘I can’t listen to the two of you pass judgment anymore, as if either of you have a clue what Bellamy has gone through, because how could you?! Neither of you have ever had to make the hard decisions to save someone you love. You sit here playing judge, jury and executioner when you don’t know what decisions you would have made if you had been given the same crappy choices as him.’

She hooped her arm through the string of her bow and threw the bag of arrows on her back. ‘I can’t listen to another second of it,’ she said, before storming away from them. 

She felt her blood pounding in her ears as she left. She just wanted to get away from all the talk about Bellamy but it followed her. If it wasn’t Jake and Freya it was the kids at the next tent over, speaking quickly, trying to hide the excitement in their voices. Or it was the group standing by the dropship, pretending to sort berries whilst they whispered in hushed tones. His name was on everyone’s lips. Suddenly she wished she was alone with him again in the forest, surrounded by the foxfire and no one else. 

She made her way to the dropship, entering to see Finn sitting up, Raven by his side with a worried look on her face.

‘Hey archer,’ he grinned at her weakly before gesturing to Raven. ‘Raven this is Raine the archer. Raine, this is Raven.’

‘Nice to finally meet you,’ Raine said as she smiled in return. ‘Impressive work on getting down here.’

Raven made to reply before Finn cut her off, ‘Nah, anybody can get a hundred-year-old dropship operational.’

Raven rolled her eyes at him as Raine turned to him. ‘Shouldn’t you be resting?’ she asked pointedly.

Raven held her hands up as if to say ‘I told you so’. Clearly Raine had made a point she had also been attempting to make. 

‘I feel fine,’ he said, although his paleness said otherwise. ‘Besides I’d rather be in my own tent than in this dropship.’

Raven sighed in frustration as he heaved his legs off the side of the bench, grimacing slightly. ‘See,’ he said. ‘Good as new.’

Raine caught Raven’s eye as they both watched him stand unsteadily, grabbing his jacket from the bench. ‘I need some fresh air,’ he said walking towards the exit. 

Raven jumped to her feet, walking in step beside him, looping her arm in his for support. Raine followed, feeling that fresh air was the last thing she wanted right now but having nowhere else to go.

As they exited the dropship, they watched as up ahead Clarke ran from one of the tents, her blonde hair waving behind her and a knife in her hand. Jasper, Octavia and Bellamy followed. Her heart jumped at the sight of Bellamy but she could tell from the look on his face that something was about to go down. She felt that familiar knot in her stomach. Bellamy caught her eye as she hurried forward, Raven and Finn following, but he didn’t get a chance to say anything as Clarke rushed to Murphy, pushing him and brandishing the knife in his face. 

‘Recognise this?’ she was asking. 

Raine walked towards them, standing beside Bellamy as she watched the drama unfold, his strong presence a reassurance in whatever was coming their way.

‘That’s my knife,’ Murphy replied. ‘Where did you find it?’

He made to snatch it from her hand but she pulled away. ‘Where you dropped it after you killed Wells.’

A shocked murmur was rippling through the campsite as others began approaching now. She could hear them repeating Clarkes words, asking each other if it was true. Was Wells dead? Raine could see Jake and Freya walk towards the commotion with Charlotte and she wondered if they had heard. Raine looked around, searching for Wells face. Surely it wasn’t true, he couldn’t be dead. Her eyes found Bellamy’s face and he nodded, confirming it silently. 

Murphy was denying it, his eyes darting from Clarke to the crowd that now surrounded them. Raine looked from Murphy to the knife in Clarke’s hand and her heart seemed to stop. She recognised that knife. It was the same knife she had watched Murphy throw with accuracy into a tree, watched as it had split the bark and impaled itself into the thick trunk. 

But could Murphy have killed Wells? If he was really dead then it could have been anyone, she thought, no one had really liked Wells, his father’s legacy ran too deep. But then Raine remembered the John Murphy on the Ark who wanted to “burn it all to ashes and watch them die”. The John Murphy that had watched as Chancellor Jaha pulled that lever. It made sense, if Wells was dead and John Murphy had been the one to kill him, then he would have killed the one person that Chancellor Jaha loved most just like Jaha had killed his father. He would have gotten his revenge. Raine looked at Murphy as he appealed to them, his eyes landing on her. 

Raine heard a dragging noise from behind her and turned to see Monty carrying Wells’ dead body into the fray. She felt her stomach flip and thought she might throw up right there and then. Across his neck lay a deep, bloodied wound that had soaked through his entire shirt, his eyes closed to the life around him, his mouth set. 

The sight of Wells seemed to rouse something in the gathered crowd and Raine started as she heard one of the delinquent’s step forward, eyes dancing. ‘I say we float him.’

The reaction was swift and sudden, the crowd shouting in agreement before a chant of ‘float him, float him,’ filled the air. Raine’s eyes darted amongst the crowd noticing most had joined in with the exception of a few, the few being mostly her friends. Clarke was shaking her head, trying to reason with the crowd but they were no longer listening. 

‘Wait,’ Murphy said, his hands outspread. ‘Look!’

He was pointing at Wells’ body and the chanting stopped as they all turned to it in confusion. And then Raine saw what he was pointing to. There, protruding from Wells’ leg proudly for all to see was the end of an arrow. 

‘I don’t know how to shoot a bow and arrow,’ Murphy said quickly. 

A silence followed before a voice from the crowd finally spoke. ‘But the archer does.’ 

Raine could feel eyes shift her way before she had even looked away from Wells, the anger of the crowd seeping over her. She could feel Bellamy stiffen beside her but he was too late. Suddenly she saw a pair of hands heading her way, an angry delinquent on the other end of them reaching to grab her. Her training with Bellamy kicked in quickly however and she threw her elbow at him, hitting him hard on the front of his neck causing him to fall backwards with a heavy thud to the ground. Raine already had her bow and arrow in her hands as she fixed her foot on his chest, aiming the arrow at his heart. 

‘I’m not a murderer,’ Raine growled. ‘Unless you want to be my first victim.’

‘Raine,’ she heard Freya whisper in shock from somewhere in the crowd.

Raine lowered the bow and arrow before removing her foot from his chest. She kept her eyes on him as he scrambled to his feet, holding his throat and coughing. 

‘It wasn’t me,’ Raine announced to the crowd. She watched as they stepped back from her, some looking at her fearfully. 

Bellamy spoke from beside her. ‘It couldn’t have been Raine,’ he said. ‘She was with me last night.’

Everyone was still staring at the two of them but she could feel the strange looks from Freya, Jake and Octavia at Bellamy’s announcement. Slowly however the crowd was beginning to turn back to Murphy and Raine noticed the panic in his eyes, reminding her of the rabbits they caught in Freya’s animal traps. 

‘I didn’t do it,’ he said resolutely although his voice was betraying his fear. He pointed back at Raine, ‘You’ve been teaching someone. Tell them who you’ve been teaching.’

Raine froze. 

No, she thought, it’s not possible. Youthful and frightened Charlotte, with her plaited hair and wide eyes wouldn’t have been able to slice a knife across Wells’ throat. It didn’t make any sense. Murphy’s eyes were fixed on her, pleading with her. 

‘Tell them!’ he shouted. ‘Who is it you’ve been training?!’

Raine kept her mouth shut, she didn’t dare take her eyes off of him to look for Charlotte in the crowd. How many people had seen Raine teaching her? Bellamy, Freya and Jake knew but surely they wouldn’t give up a twelve year old girl to this pack of hyenas hungry for vengeance. The silence was deafening as all eyes fell on her. 

Please, she thought, please let no one know about Charlotte. 

The crowd was growing restless at her silence. She could see Murphy’s pleading look give way to a look of frustration. He knew she wasn’t going to come to his defense. 

‘It was your knife Murphy. You’re going to pay!’ someone shouted.

Murphy tried to make a run for it, but Raine felt herself jostled by the crowd as they surged towards him, knocking him to the ground, kicking into him as he tried to cover his head with his arms. Bellamy held his arm out as Octavia tried to rush forward to split it up whilst Raven was trying to keep Finn back. Clarke was there with Jake trying to pull people off of him but it was no use, the crowd were too angry and too many. 

Raine didn’t see who it was that had turned the dropships seatbelts into a noose and she watched in horror as the crowd wrapped it around his neck and hung it from a tree, his feet balancing precariously on a crate that had been placed beneath him. She felt frozen in shock. This couldn’t happen, someone had to stop them. She turned to Bellamy and saw Clarke pleading with him, grabbing the front of his jacket. 

‘You can stop this!’ she was telling him. ‘They’ll listen to you!’

But the crowd was chanting Bellamy’s name now, watching him expectantly, waiting for him to be the one to put Murphy to his death. He turned to Raine, his face set. 

‘No,’ Raine said. ‘You can’t do this Bellamy.’

He turned from her and walked towards the crate, Clarke grabbing at his sleeve. Raine looked up at Murphy, his face covered in mud, the noose around his neck already turning his face red. He was shaking his head at Bellamy, tears in his eyes, pleading for his life. Bellamy will save him, she thought, he won’t allow this to happen.

And then Raine screamed as Bellamy kicked the crate from under his feet. 

She felt like she was in a bad dream, how could he? She ran forward as the crowd cheered, Murphy’s face turning purple, his legs kicking uselessly. This was John, she thought, the same John that had tried to comfort his mother when she screamed on that horrible day, the same John she had given her bread to on the Ark. She had to cut him down but the crowd was pushing against her, someone was pulling at the back of her jacket. She couldn’t get to him.

‘This is on you, princess!’ Bellamy was shouting at Clarke. ‘You should have kept your mouth shut!’

It was chaos. Scuffles were breaking out in the crowd; from the corner of her eye she could see someone hold a knife up to Finn as Raven stood between them but Murphy’s body was going limp now. Time was running out. They had to get him down. 

Then suddenly she heard Charlotte’s high voice as she ran forward. ‘Just stop ok?!’ she shrieked. 

‘No,’ Raine heard herself whisper in a panic as she turned to see Charlotte’s scared face in the middle of the crowd.

‘Murphy didn’t kill Wells,’ she said. ‘I did.’

Silence fell upon them all, the only sound being Murphy’s choked struggles.

‘Oh my God,’ Clarke whispered before quickly pulling the axe from Bellamy’s belt and cutting the noose that held Murphy. He fell to the ground and groaned as Jake pulled the makeshift rope away from his neck.


	12. Floated

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for the delay in the update! Here's a long one to make up for it :)

‘Raine, where are you going?’ 

Jakes frantic voice was following her as she ran to their tent, grabbing the nearest backpack she could find and filling it with a water canteen, scraps of food, anything useful that she could find. 

‘I won’t let them lynch a child,’ she replied. 

She threw the backpack over her shoulder where it clattered against the bow and arrow already there. Jake and Freya shot each other a look as she barged past them and headed back through the campsite, marching past Bellamy and Murphy who were arguing as the crowd watched on. She lifted the flap to the tent they stood in front of to see Charlotte there with Clarke and Finn who jumped in fright as she entered. Charlotte’s face was tear-stained and a wave of relief seemed to wash over her at the sight of Raine. 

‘Let’s go Charlotte,’ Raine said, pulling at Charlotte’s arm.

‘Wait, where are you going?’ Clarke demanded.

‘I’m not going to sit here whilst they debate whether she should live or die,’ Raine snapped. ‘We’re leaving.’

Clarke and Finn looked at each other. 

‘Come or don’t,’ Raine said. ‘I don’t care.’

‘Wait,’ Finn sighed, stepping forward. ‘We know a place where she can hide. We can take you there.’

‘No,’ Clarke said, turning to face him. ‘You’re too weak.’

‘I can do this,’ he said gently. ‘Besides who best to be with than the camps medic?’

‘If you slow us down I’m leaving you behind,’ Raine interrupted. 

Clarke’s eyes flashed at Raine but Finn only nodded. ‘I won’t slow you down.’

‘Then let’s go,’ she said, lifting the fabric on the other side of the tent and peeking out before leading Charlotte through, Finn and Clarke following. 

Finn pushed to the front to lead the way, climbing through a gap in the wall as Charlotte followed with Clarke. Raine glanced over her shoulder one last time at the camp before making up the rear. It would only be a matter of minutes before they noticed Charlotte was gone, they had to move quickly. 

As soon as they got through the wall they broke into a run, branches breaking under their feet as they climbed over hills and roots. Finn was up ahead but Raine could see him faltering slightly, noticed his hair clinging to his head in sweat. She cursed to herself, he wasn’t going to make it very far. 

Luckily, it turned out they didn’t have far to go as Finn suddenly stopped and bent down, grimacing in pain as he pulled open a steel door she hadn’t noticed was there. Panic rose in Raine’s chest as she heard Murphy’s yells not far behind them, screaming Charlotte’s name into the woods. Finn quickly ushered them in as they descended the ladder into a bunker under the forest floor. 

Darkness descended as Finn closed the bunker door behind them and Clarke switched on her torch. As Raine’s eyes adjusted she couldn’t help but stare in awe. The room was long with an arched ceiling and shelves of supplies lining the walls stacked high with tins of food. On one side a sink stood and it even had a bed and a sofa. Raine felt a shiver of foreboding as she looked at the family photographs strewn on a table and the copious art supplies.   
  
‘What is this place?’ she asked.

‘For now?’ Finn replied. ‘Home.’

He slid down on to the battered sofa and Clarke rushed to him.

‘Let me have a look,’ she said to him softly. 

Raine hurried to find some candles to provide more light as Finn groaned and Clarke lifted his top. 

‘Can I help?’ Charlotte asked Clarke timidly.

‘No,’ she snapped, turning on her. Charlotte took a step back in fright. ‘Just because we saved you doesn’t mean you’re forgiven. Got it?’

‘Hey,’ Raine warned, stepping towards Clarke. ‘Leave her alone.’

‘She’s a killer,’ Clarke spat angrily. ‘My best friend is dead because of her.’

‘Your best friend is dead because the Ark sent a terrified child to the ground,’ Raine replied, fists clenched at her side. 

All of the emotions of today were rushing at Raine now, her anger and confusion feeling as confined within her as the four of them were in this bunker. She stared back at Clarke, willing her to start a fight, craving an outlet for her rage. The two of them just stood there however in a silent face off until Charlotte interrupted. 

‘I was only trying to slay my demons,’ she said quietly. ‘Like Bellamy taught me.’

Raine finally turned from Clarke to look at her.

‘What are you talking about?’ demanded Clarke.

‘Bellamy said fear is death and if I destroyed my fear during the day it couldn’t get me in my sleep.’

Raine thought back to the nights in the tent, the times Charlotte had cried out from her nightmares and Raine had to whisper to her until she fell back asleep, willing dreams that didn’t involve seeing her parents being floated again. 

‘Jaha,’ Raine breathed and Charlotte nodded, silent tears in her eyes. 

Clarke and Finn were staring at her, realisation dawning on their faces. Charlotte had killed Wells because he reminded her of his father, Chancellor Jaha. The man who had floated her parents. And she had done it because Bellamy had told her to slay her demons. Bellamy who had kicked the crate from under Murphy’s feet. Would he have done the same to Charlotte?

Raine sighed, she didn’t want to think of Bellamy any more. She should have listened to Jake from the start. Bellamy had shown his true colours now and Raine found she hated every shade of him.

‘Charlotte, come help me find candles,’ Raine said finally, interrupting the silence.

Despite everything, Clarke was right. Wells was dead and it was Charlotte who murdered him. Raine watched as Charlotte’s delicate hands handed her some candles, her light footsteps echoing against the floor as she shuffled around. It just didn’t seem possible, how could this child be a murderer?

Raine tried to picture how it could have happened. Perhaps Charlotte had been spooked by the arrival of the grounder in the camp. Raine realised that it was her who told Charlotte to get her bow and arrow to protect herself. Wells had been found outside the walls, had Charlotte thought about running away when she came across him? Raine could almost picture her tongue as it poked from the side of her mouth, aiming her arrow at Wells but missing and only getting him on the leg. She must have panicked then, grabbed Murphy’s knife and sliced across his throat. Did she watch him bleed out and die? Did she see the light leaving his eyes as he reached out to her? Or did she panic and run, arriving back in the tent to sleep next to Raine, saying nothing. 

*

Raine threw the duvet over Charlotte and smiled weakly at her as she lay in the bed before her. 

‘Can you stay with me?’ Charlotte whispered, her fearful eyes glancing at Clarke.

‘Of course,’ Raine said, climbing in beside her. 

She lay there staring up at the ceiling, the flickering light from the candles casting long shadows. Shadows that looked like monsters, dark crows, black fire. And within it all Murphy’s face red then purple then blue, bloodstained with frantic eyes. Calling out to her, pleading for her help. 

‘Wake up!’ 

Raine woke with a start to Clarke shaking her. She sat up immediately, her heart racing.

‘She’s gone!’ Clarke cried. 

Finn was already climbing the ladders as Clarke ran to follow. Raine looked down next to her on the bed, as if Clarke and Finn were lying, expecting to find her sleeping soundly beside her but they were right. She was gone. Throwing the duvet off of her body and grabbing her bow Raine hurried to follow, climbing the ladder as quickly as her legs would allow. 

‘Shh,’ Finn hushed as soon as she emerged, throwing his arm out in front of her and Clarke. 

They stood there in silence for a moment when Raine heard it. Footsteps. One pair, coming closer to where they stood. They wouldn’t have time to hide. Raine slowly and quietly pulled the bow from her shoulder, fixing an arrow in it’s place. 

‘Don’t shoot, it’s just me.’ Bellamy emerged from the bushes in front of them, arms out in surrender. 

Raine felt her heart racing at the sight of him. He was walking towards them slowly, arms still outspread, his dark eyes fixed on the arrow. 

Raine didn’t lower it. 

‘Raine put down the bow and arrow,’ he said, stopping in front of them. ‘I’m here to help.’

A few hours ago she would never have questioned him, could never have imagined that they would be here now, with her arrow pointed straight at his heart. How foolish she had been to think she had known him, to think she understood him. Here he was - Bellamy the leader, the torturer and now Bellamy the attempted murderer. 

Suddenly from the distance, they heard Charlotte’s shouts. Without thinking Raine spun on the spot and ran towards her voice, her heart pounding in her ears, matching the sounds of their feet hitting the forest floor as they all tore through the trees. She could hear others running towards her now too, and the sounds of Murphy’s voice joining hers in the wind. 

It didn’t take long for them to emerge through the trees, skidding to a halt in front of Charlotte and just in time too. In front of them a cluster of slippery rocks signalled the edge of the forest, with a steep drop, the bottom of which was too far and too dark to see in the night. 

Charlotte wasn’t looking at them however, she was looking into the forest, still shouting.

‘I’m here!’ she screamed. 

‘No!’ Raine cried, dropping in front of her and grabbing her whilst placing her hand over her mouth. Charlotte tried to fight out of Raine’s grip but Raine held on tight. It was too late however, in front of them, carrying torches and panting, emerged John Murphy and four of his followers. 

‘Give her up,’ Murphy demanded. 

Raine let go of Charlotte and stood up, placing herself as in front of her as Finn and Bellamy stepped closer too. 

‘This has gone too far,’ Clarke said to Murphy. ‘Just calm down. We can talk about this.’

A tense silence followed as Murphy breathed deeply looking between them all. Suddenly he grabbed Clarke roughly, pulling her so her back was against him and placing a knife to her throat. Finn and Bellamy made to step forward but stopped abruptly when they saw the knife glint back at them. 

‘I am sick of listening to you talk,’ he said angrily, his mouth pressed close to Clarke’s ear. ‘Back off!’ he shouted to Finn who made to step forward again. ‘Or I will slit her throat.’

‘No, please don’t,’ Charlotte said emerging from behind Raine. ‘Please don’t hurt her.’

‘Don’t hurt her?’ Murphy repeated, his eyes ablaze as he looked down at Charlotte. ‘Ok, I’ll make you a deal. You come with me right now and I will let her go.’

Charlotte’s eyes were dancing between Clarke and Murphy, her breathing heavy.

‘Don’t do it Charlotte,’ Clarke pleaded. 

Charlotte made to step forward and Raine heard herself cry out as Bellamy pushed her back, holding her in place before turning to Murphy. ‘Murphy,’ he said, ‘this is not happening.’

Raine looked at Murphy, at the anger in his eyes, the knife tight in his hand as he held it to Clarke’s throat. If he would just let Clarke go. Just put down the knife and calm down. Talk about it. Surely they could come up with a solution to this mess?

Then Charlotte’s quiet voice came out resolutely, tears pooling in her eyes. ‘I can’t let any of you get hurt anymore. Not because of me. Not after what I did.’

And then Raine watched on in horror as she turned on her heels and ran, throwing herself off the edge of the cliff. Raine screamed as she heard Bellamy and Clarke’s cries as they all ran forward, looking over the edge as Charlotte’s body disappeared into the darkness, fading from them as if she had been floated in space. 

Clarke was crying beside Raine, repeatedly shouting ‘no’ into the abyss but Raine couldn’t think straight. Charlotte was no longer in sight yet Raine kept staring as if she would reappear in front of them. This would never have happened if they could have just took a moment to talk, why couldn’t he just have waited?

Murphy. 

With a rage and fire that Raine had never felt before she screamed, launching herself at Murphy, landing on him as he fell beneath her. She hit every part of him she could, punched and punched and screamed, as he tried to cover his head. 

‘Get off me you crazy bitch!’

Suddenly she felt strong arms grip round her waist and lift her, her arms and legs flailing in front of her like an overturned beetle. Until an exhaustion hit her, sudden and all-consuming and she collapsed forward, sobs racking her body. 

‘You’re ok,’ she heard Bellamy say gently in her ear. 

‘No it’s not ok!’ she yelled, pulling free of his grip. Murphy inched back on the ground away from her, awaiting another blow.

Bellamy looked from Raine to Murphy and she could see that dangerous look in his eyes. It seemed he had finally realised that they’d not only lost Charlotte that night, but he had lost Raine too. He turned to Murphy, his jaw clenched. ‘You’re going to die Murphy,’ he said, taking a step towards him. Murphy scuttled back even further, his eyes wild with panic.

‘No!’ Clarke yelled, putting herself in front of Bellamy. ‘We don’t decide who lives and dies! Not down here!’

A silence fell over them, Finn and Murphy’s henchmen watching the scene apprehensively. Raine felt like screaming, her anger was so overwhelming, her grief so pure. 

‘So help me God,’ Bellamy growled, ‘if you say the people have a right to decide-‘

‘No!’ Clarke interrupted. ‘I was wrong before, ok? You were right. Sometimes it’s dangerous to tell people the truth. But if we’re going to survive down here, we can’t just live by “whatever the Hell we want”.’

Bellamy sighed and stepped back from her, his breath coming out in angry bursts. Raine was looking at Murphy, his face bloody from her fists and his mouth set. He couldn’t get away with this, she thought. But then what was the solution? There was no Sky Box down here. 

‘We need rules,’ Clarke continued. 

‘And who makes those rule? Huh?’ Bellamy asked frustratedly. ‘You?’

‘For now _we_ make the rules, ok?’

The two of them looked at each other and Raine had to look away before she snapped. The self-appointed leaders, and yet without both of them, none of this would have happened and Charlotte would still be alive. She needed to get away from all of this, especially from Clarke and Bellamy and their misplaced self-righteousness. 

‘So what then?’ she could hear Bellamy asking her. ‘We just take him back and pretend like nothing happened?’

‘No!’ 

The was a pause and Raine watched as Clarke turned to Murphy, looking at him as he lay on the ground before them all. ‘We banish him,’ she said finally.

Everyone stared at her for a moment before Bellamy’s eyes found Raine’s. He was waiting for her to say something, she could tell, but she had nothing more to say. She didn’t know what the answer was. She didn’t want Murphy to die but how could they allow him to live with them? How could she look at him now, the ghosts of her dad and Charlotte now forever ingrained on his face. 

Bellamy suddenly moved towards Murphy, dragging him to his feet and holding him tight by his jacket. ‘If I ever catch you near camp, we’ll be back here,’ he said, indicating the cliff’s edge. ‘Understand?’

Murphy nodded before Bellamy threw him back to the ground. He turned to the other delinquents who had chased Charlotte alongside Murphy. ‘As for the four of you. You can come back and follow me, or go off with him to die. Your choice.’

Raine shook her head in disgust as all four of them looked at Murphy on the ground and walked from him without even a second glance. Finn threw a knife down on the ground in front of Murphy before also leaving, leaning on Clarke for support but Raine had already stormed ahead. Her anger was so palpable, her step quick, almost propelled by the adrenaline coursing through her. 

She couldn’t look at a single one of them; the four delinquents who were quick to run alongside Murphy for revenge in the forest and then just as quick to leave him behind. Bellamy, who would have killed Murphy twice tonight. Finn who stood silently and did nothing. And Clarke, who decided she was in charge, giving her speech about not handing out death sentences but doing it anyway. 

Because that was what the banishment was, a death sentence. Murphy would never last out there on his own. Clarke was certainly a Chancellor in the making, she could use words like ‘banishment’ to convince herself she was different from Jaha, but Murphy was going to die out here and it was her who dealt the final blow. It was no different to being floated. 

But more than anything, the truth was she hated herself the most. She was just as guilty, just as culpable, just as silent. She had tried to choose between Charlotte and Murphy and in the end she had lost them both. 

In the end, she was no better than any of them. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not gonna lie, I really struggled writing this chapter. I'm not particularly a fan of reading scenes I've already watched but I couldn't see any other way around this as there was no way Raine would have let Charlotte run away without her. 
> 
> Anyway, this is sort of the only major scene from the TV show that is fully written verbatim if that makes sense. There will be other scenes from season 1 but it will be back to being from an outsiders perspective as opposed to Raine always being in the eye of the storm. Let me know what you think so far!


	13. The Ground Changed Us All

Raine sat on the edge of her cot, looking down at the small bow and arrow she was holding in her hands. She had made this one especially for Charlotte, she remembered searching for days for the perfect sized piece of wood for it. Was this the bow Charlotte had used when she killed Wells? Feeling suddenly sick, she threw it to the floor, kicking it under the cot out of sight before running her hands through her hair.

She had barely left the tent for the last few days, preferring to sit on her own or pretending to sleep when Freya and Jake came in to check on her. She didn’t want to speak to anyone. She felt a familiar numbness course through her, similar to when her dad had died. She hadn’t cried then either.

It was remarkable how similar the ground now seemed to the Ark. Even now, the campsite was rowdy and jovial sounding, as if nothing had happened. As if Charlotte hadn’t murdered one of them and died for it. As if they all hadn’t tried to execute an innocent man and then condemned him to death anyway. 

She tried not to think on it anymore and looked up just as Jake entered, a tray of food in his hands. 

‘You’re awake,’ he said cautiously. ‘Here, I brought you some food.’

‘I’m not hungry.’

He sighed and placed the tray down. ‘You need to eat Raine. It’s been days.’

‘I said I’m not hungry.’

Her anger seemed to be a constant presence these days, at times she wondered if it would ever subside. It consumed her and made even trivial things seem annoying. The tent felt too close, the fire too hot, the cot too uncomfortable, and there wasn’t a single person in the campsite that didn’t make her want to scream. Including herself. 

Jake stepped towards her, speaking gently, ‘Raine I know how difficult this must be but we have to keep going. You have to keep going. You can’t give up now.’

She said nothing, rolling her eyes as she turned to face away from him. 

‘She wasn’t Enid, y’know.’

He had said the wrong thing. As the words left his mouth she knew he had probably realised it but she stood suddenly to face him, blood pounding in her ears. 

‘Don’t you dare say Enid’s name,’ she hissed. 

He stared back at her. She could see the indecision on his face, as if debating what it was he wanted to say before deciding better and saying nothing at all. He turned to walk away before stopping abruptly. ‘Ok then,’ he said, turning back to face her. ‘Let’s do this Raine, let’s get it all out in the open.’

She said nothing, her breathing heavy as he stood before her. 

‘I know you blame me for Enid being alone up there. I know that’s why we’ve been arguing so much. I can see it in the way you speak to me and the way you spend time with everyone else but me. You can admit it.’

‘I asked you to look after her,’ she said angrily. ‘It was the only thing I asked.’

‘Well you asked too much!’ he said, throwing his arms out in defeat. ‘I messed up! I had just found out my two best friends were criminals. I didn’t know what to do.’

‘So you get yourself locked up too?!’ she yelled back. ‘What did you think was going to be the outcome of beating up those guys Jake?’

‘I didn’t think!’

‘That’s right, you didn’t think,’ she sneered. ‘And now look. We’re all down here whilst our families are all up there.’

‘Enid was your responsibility, not mine,’ he said. ‘And she’s not alone up there, she’s with my dad.’

‘Your dad’s a self-righteous dick. She’d be better off alone.’

Jake stared back at her, his nostrils flaring as words seemed to fail him. She turned her back to him, crossing her arms as she waited for him to leave. She heard him march out the tent before mumbling ‘yeah, good luck’ to someone outside who walked in after him. 

She turned and sighed in exasperation at the sight of Bellamy strolling into the tent, another tray of food in his hands. She saw him notice the untouched one Jake had left before he looked up at her, his lips pressed together in a straight line. 

‘You need to eat,’ he said in annoyance. 

‘I’m not hungry,’ she repeated again. 

He put the tray down heavily. ‘You haven’t eaten for three days. There could be a grounder attack at any minute, we don’t have time for this. We need our only decent archer ready.’

‘Or what Bellamy? You going to force me to eat? You going to banish me for not obeying your rules?’ She walked towards him, a cruel smile on her face as he watched her. ‘Or maybe you’ll get Clarke to do that? You’re more of a ‘hang them by their necks’ type of guy aren’t you?’

All of the anger she had felt towards him since the night Charlotte killed herself was slick on her tongue, ready to be unleashed. 

‘Look, I don’t care what you think of me,’ he said. ‘If you need to hate me then join the club. But just remember that it was you that told me I was only doing what needs to be done.’

‘And how does kicking the crate from under an innocent man’s feet ensure your survival Bellamy, what did you gain from that?’

He looked at her and shook his head. ‘I know you’re not that stupid Raine. I didn’t do it for me. I did it for you and I did it for Charlotte. They were either going to kill Murphy or they’d have come for you. I did what I had to do to keep the two of you safe.’

‘Well I didn’t work did it?’ she said with a short laugh. ‘Charlotte’s dead.’

He nodded, ‘Yeah. She is. And that wasn’t part of the plan. But you’re alive.’ 

She scowled at him but he only shook his head resignedly at her and sighed. 

‘Raine,’ he said finally, ‘I know you don’t want to hear this but I’ll say it anyway since no one else will. You’re just as culpable as me. You knew Charlotte was the murderer and you protected her and let Murphy take the fall. Because when we protect the people we care about, sometimes it’s at the expense of others. We all thought for Charlotte to live, Murphy had to die.’ He looked at her for a moment before speaking again. ‘You kicked the crate from under his feet too.’

He turned and left the tent, the entrance flapping in his wake. Raine watched him go before sinking down on to her cot with her head in her hands, blinking back tears. 

He was right. She was so angry at everyone and for what? For doing exactly what she had done too. She had made mistake after mistake when the stakes had been too high and people had been hurt. People had died. Who was she to expect more from others than she could give herself?

Again, she heard footsteps entering the tent and sighed in exasperation. ‘What now?!’

She looked up to see Freya standing timidly. ‘It’s your turn for the radio,’ she said quietly.

*

Raine had her hand on the small, flickering picture on the screen. Enid. The brightness of her fiery hair and her golden freckles didn’t translate well through the technology, but it was Enid. Raine’s Enid. 

Enid was beaming back at her. ‘What’s it like?’ she asked excitedly. ‘Have you seen any animals?’

Raine nodded, tears pooling in her eyes. ‘Loads,’ she said. ‘There’s animals and trees and lakes. There’s even blue butterflies that glow.’

‘Wow!’ Enid gasped. ‘When I come down you can show me it all. We can see it all together.’

‘I can’t wait to show you,’ Raine smiled. 

‘Is it beautiful?’

Raine smiled through the tears blurring her vision. ‘Yes,’ she whispered. ‘So beautiful.’ 

*

Raine left the dropship, trying to disguise her sniffling as she walked. The campsite was rowdy tonight so it was easy for her to maneuver her way through mostly unnoticed with her head down, not really realising where she was going until she walked straight into Raven. 

‘Oh sorry,’ Raine mumbled. 

Raven said nothing and made to walk away but Raine grabbed her arm. ‘Wait,’ she said. 

Raven stood, pulling out of her grasp to cross her arms as she looked at her. ‘If you’re looking for Bellamy, he left an hour ago with Clarke to find some emergency aid depot the Ark found,’ she snapped.

‘I’m not,’ Raine replied. ‘How’s Finn?’

‘Resting,’ Raven said shortly. ‘Like he should have been days ago.’

Raine nodded. ‘I know,’ she said. ‘I’m sorry.’

Raven looked at her for a moment, taking in her bloodshot and tired eyes before giving her a small nod and quick smile in return. It was more than she deserved.

Raine smiled back before turning from her and making her way back through the campsite. Raven wasn’t the only person she owed an apology to. As she neared her tent, she could see Jake and Freya sitting with their heads together in conversation. At the sound of her approaching, they both looked up, an apprehensive look on their faces. Raine sighed as she sat down in front of them. 

‘I owe you both an apology,’ she said weakly.

Freya smiled softly as Jake looked at her haughtily. 

‘For everything,’ she said. ‘I took control of our situation here and I shouldn’t have. You’re both my best friends, we should have tackled this together and I made mistakes. Huge ones.’ She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as she spoke. ‘I promise I won’t leave you guys out again. No more secrets. No more decision making. Everything we do, we do together.’

Freya jumped from where she was sitting and threw her arms around Raine’s neck, hugging her tightly. Raine couldn’t help but smile awkwardly, trying not to fall back under Freya’s weight. Freya kissed her cheek before looking at her. ‘It’s good to have you back,’ she said. 

Raine turned to Jake as Freya sat down next to her, holding her hand. 

‘Jake I don’t blame you for Enid,’ she said. ‘I never did. I was just angry and I took it out on you. Enid was always my responsibility and no one else’s. I’m sorry.’

Jake looked at her for a moment before nodding. ‘It’s ok,’ he said. He sighed and looked around at the campsite. ‘The ground just changed us all for a minute there.’

She nodded and smiled at him, a relief sweeping over her like she hadn’t felt in days. Jake was still looking around the campsite however, his brow furrowed as he watched the others roaming around.

‘What on Earth is going on?’ he asked quietly. 

Raine and Freya turned to follow his gaze. The noise was overwhelming, how she hadn’t noticed it before she didn’t know. It seemed like a party was happening, although not a particularly cheery one. Some were happy, running around and giggling but others were behaving incredibly strangely. Raine watched as one girl stood in front of a tree, talking animatedly to it, her hands waving in front of her whilst nearby a boy was topless, swinging his top in his arms. Raine distinctly heard him telling anyone who would listen that he was a bird. 

With a confused glance at each other they all stood and made their way to the dropship. Raine gaped as she saw Monty bite down on a pine cone and sitting just up ahead of them was Jasper, his eyes wide, clutching on to a long stick for dear life. 

‘What’s happening?’ Jake asked Raven who was watching the chaos alongside Finn. 

‘I think it’s these berries,’ Finn said, showing some small purple berries held in his hand. He looked a lot better, Raine noticed, although he still had an air about him of someone who had been through an ordeal. 

‘They must be some sort of hallucinogenic,’ Raven said, her eyes sweeping over the campsite. 

Raine saw Freya’s eyes light up as she picked one of the berries from Finn’s outstretched hand and held it between her fingers.

‘No Freya,’ Raine warned. 

Freya shot her a mock look of disappointment before dropping it to the ground. 

‘Let’s round them up,’ Jake said. ‘Get them all some water. Maybe it will wear off soon.’

It was hard work. Some of the delinquents were happy to be sat down in front of the fire with some water, others looked at Raine frightfully, trying to push her away as she attempted her best soothing voice. One in particular told Raine she didn’t want to go back to the Ark, she was happy on the ground. It took some convincing before she’d believe that Raine wasn’t in fact Chancellor Jaha. 

Eventually Raine, Freya and Jake flopped down in front of the fire in exhaustion, Jake sighing loudly. It seemed the effects of the berries had started to wear off, there was a new morose atmosphere in the camp now as people sat wide-eyed at the thought of their behavior. 

Octavia sat down in front of the fire too after a while, not looking at them as she stared into the flames in deep thought. 

‘Everything ok?’ Freya asked her. 

‘What?’ she said, head snapping up. ‘Oh, yeah. Headache,’ she grimaced. ‘Damn jobi nuts.’

Raine smiled at her before her attention was caught by Miller running out of the dropship. ‘He’s gone!’ he shouted. ‘The grounder’s gone!’

A worried murmur swept through the camp as people rose to their feet slowly, looking around them cautiously as though the missing prisoner could be walking amongst them, waiting for him to jump out at them.

‘What if he brings other grounders back?’ Jasper said panicking. ‘He’ll kill us all.’

‘Let the grounders come.’ Bellamy was entering into the campsite, Clarke walking alongside him. They were both carrying large heavy bags and Bellamy’s face was covered in blood and deep cuts. He’d clearly been fighting. ‘We’ve been afraid of them for far too long,’ he said. ‘And why? Because of their knives and spears? Well, I don’t know about you but I’m tired of being afraid.’

Clarke and Bellamy nodded to each other before dropping their bags on the ground revealing guns. Lots of guns. Enough to arm half the camp site. Bellamy caught Raine’s eye before Jake leaned towards her, his voice low. 

‘Looks like your not the only shooter anymore,’ he whispered. 


	14. The Red Splashes of Blood

Raine had lived through so much pain and loss that it should have been no surprise to her that she could force herself back to some normality. Each day, she found she could pretend that killings hadn’t happened within their mist, that the ghosts of their old friends didn’t loom over everything they did. All of the delinquents were used to it by now and she was no different. 

She ran a hand through her hair as she walked through the campsite. It was a hubbub of activity. Unity Day had arrived, the celebration of the beginning of the Ark and Chancellor Jaha’s voice rang out from the radio near the dropship as delinquents talked over him and laughed at his absurdity. They didn’t have to give him their full attention down here. 

‘Hey, wait!’ 

Raine turned, adjusting the bow and arrow on her back as she did so to see Bellamy coming towards her, his usual air of frustration clouding his features.

‘Where are you going?’ he asked. ‘You can’t just saunter out of camp alone.’

‘I’m not _sauntering_ ,’ she snapped. ‘It’s Unity Day and people want to party. Be a lame party without enough food will it not? Do we have enough to feed a bunch of drunk people?’

‘I can’t spare you the manpower to guard you out there,’ he said. ‘Everyone’s training on guns today, that’s my priority.’

Raine noticed the way he phrased his words; _my_ priority, _I_ can’t spare manpower. Him and Clarke’s final decision to make all decisions certainly seemed to have stuck. 

‘I’ll go with her.’

Jake was coming towards them, a gun slung over his shoulder and Raine felt a tremendous rush of gratitude towards him. To think only a few days ago she had almost lost his friendship forever. 

‘Can you even shoot that thing?’ Bellamy asked pointedly as the gun slipped from Jake’s shoulder and he moved quickly to catch it. 

‘Had about an hour’s training,’ he shrugged. ‘So about as good as anyone else here.’

Bellamy rolled his eyes before looking over his shoulder. ‘Hey Miller!’ he shouted. ‘I need you to go with Raine. You and Jake can guard her whilst she hunts.’

Raine narrowed her eyes at Bellamy as Miller dutifully followed his orders, coming towards them. Who was Bellamy to decide when she could leave camp? Who was he to send her guards? 

His eyes met hers for a moment but Raine turned away from him. She had had enough of arguing with Bellamy to last a life time. She knew where they both stood now. 

Jake made to follow Raine before Bellamy roughly grabbed his arm. ‘Make sure nothing happens to her,’ he growled. 

Jake glowered at him before shoving him off and following Raine and Miller into the forest. 

*

‘Wow! What a shot!’ Miller bounced cheerfully through the grass towards the dead animal carcass, a bow jutting from its side. ‘Bit easier when it’s got two heads though huh?’ he joked to Raine.

Jake and Raine caught each other’s eye and smiled at Miller’s enthusiasm. 

‘You seem pretty cheerful Miller,’ Jake commented. ‘Don’t tell me it’s that Unity Day spirit?’

‘Hell no,’ Miller scoffed, removing the arrow from the dead animal and wiping the blood from it on his trousers. ‘I’ve barely left that campsite in weeks,’ he said. ‘I’m always on guard duty – watching the walls, watching the prisoner, watching Octavia. My job always involves sitting still, it’s like being on the Ark all over again. I’m glad Bellamy sent me out with you guys.’

‘You could just tell him no,’ Raine said taking the arrow from his hand. 

Miller shrugged. ‘Someone’s got to be in charge. Hey Jake, help me tie this up.’

Jake lowered his gun and kneeled beside Miller, pulling some rope from his pocket. 

‘You think this will be enough to feed everyone?' Jake asked Raine over his shoulder. 

‘We could try look for something else too if you want,’ she said. ‘A party is supposed to be about excess isn’t it? I mean, that’s a foreign concept to us of course. But if this is going to be our last Unity Day before the Chancellor and his merry men find a way down here, we should really make an effort don’t you think?’

‘Amen,’ Miller laughed. 

Raine smiled and stood waiting as the boys tied up the animal when she saw it. Ahead in the trees, something moving. She stepped forward a little, straining her eyes and ignoring the boys chatter. 

And then it moved again. It was huge; six feet or more. She could make out fur, lots of it and it seemed to be hiding itself cleverly behind the branches of the trees. And then, very clearly, she could see two eyes staring straight back at her. 

She realised altogether too late that this was no animal. 

Hidden beneath layers of fur and bone, a bow held aloft, was a grounder. And she watched helplessly as the arrow he had already fired came straight for her. She opened her mouth to shout a warning but instead all that came out was a soft ‘ooft’ as the arrow impaled itself in her stomach and she slowly dropped to her knees. 

‘Raine!’ Jake scrambled to her in a panic immediately, dropping beside her and staring wide-eyed at her. She could hear gun shots and Miller shouting pointlessly at them to get down but all she could feel was pain as a cool wetness spread over her stomach. 

And fear. Complete and utter fear.

‘We need to get back to the camp,’ Miller said, crouching down beside them both. ‘ _Now!_ ’

The urgency of Miller’s voice seemed to snap Jake into action as they both grabbed one of Raine’s arms each over their shoulder and heaved her into a standing position. Raine cried out despite herself, the stretching movement in her stomach seemed like it was tearing at her wound and she gritted her teeth as tears pricked at her eyes. 

They were moving now, quickly through the grass, stumbling and grunting as they went. With every passing second, Raine felt her energy depleting. Her feet dragged on the ground and it was an effort to raise her head. She tried to concentrate, tried to keep her eyes open, to keep alert and look at where they were going but it was so much easier to let her head loll uselessly. 

‘Not far to go Raine,’ she could hear Jake pant desperately. ‘Just hang in there. We’ll be back at camp soon.’

His voice panicked her. She couldn’t bring herself to look at the wound and the blood, but his frantic tone and worried looks told her everything she needed to know. She was in trouble and she needed Clarke now. 

But God, she was so tired. Each blink felt like a warm invitation into a darkness that was enticing in its nothingness. And between each blink she could see the grass beneath her feet, blurry and alive, with splashes of red. The red splashes of her blood, she realised. 

It couldn’t end like this. Not now, when the radio was working and she could finally speak to Enid. Not when there was a chance that Enid could make it down to them eventually. Not when there was some hope that they could be together again. 

‘Enid.’ She heard the word tumble breathlessly from her lips. 

‘We’re here,’ Jake was saying quickly over Millers yells for someone to open the gate. ‘We’re here, you’ll be ok.’

And then she could hear voices, lots of voices crowding around her speaking frantically and panicked, and she could feel someone lift her legs and then the hardness of a bench beneath her as she looked up at the steel roof of the dropship. 

Clarke’s blonde hair was tumbling around her worried face as she looked down at Raine’s stomach, pulling open her shirt. 

‘Where is she?’

It was Bellamy. His voice strong and welcoming, and suddenly she felt like she needed him beside her right now. That he could save her, that his very strength could change the will of nature itself to make sure she lived. She turned her head to the sound of his voice and saw him roughly slam Jake in to the wall. 

Jake was covered in blood she noticed pointlessly. Her blood.

‘I told you to look after her!’ Bellamy shouted at Jake, gripping tight to his jacket. 

Jake’s face was thunderous as he threw Bellamy off of him. ‘She would have been fine if you hadn’t let that grounder escape!’ he raged, his voice so loud it cracked as he yelled. ‘If you hadn’t kidnapped one of them in the first place!’

The whole world around Raine felt like pure confusion and frenzy. There were too many people, too much yelling. Why were they yelling? 

‘It was just the one grounder,’ she could hear Miller saying. ‘It’s not an ambush. Maybe he was a lookout or something, I don’t know. I tried to shoot him but he got away.’

‘Bellamy,’ Raine said, the word an effort, coming out as no more than a sigh. 

‘I need to get Freya,’ she heard Jake say urgently as Bellamy appeared suddenly above her, his eyes switching from her face to her stomach and back again, Clarke working beside him. 

‘Bellamy,’ she said again. He leaned down, his face close to hers as he stroked her hair. ‘I’m scared,’ she whispered. It felt good to say it out loud, to put words to the overwhelming feeling, to identify it to the air around her.

She could see Bellamy’s dark eyes and his eyebrows knitted together in worry, but he grabbed her hand and squeezed it tightly. ‘Nothing is going to happen to you,’ he said quietly, his eyes earnest and honest. ‘I won’t let anything happen to you, I promise. You’re going to get through this.'

‘Bellamy,’ Clarke spoke to him quietly, a warning tone in her voice. He stood up and Raine felt that reassurance vanish as Bellamy’s eyes left hers, dropping to the wound in her stomach. 

‘I need to pull out the arrow,’ Clarke said. ‘You’re going to have to hold her down.’

‘Raine!’ Freya’s frantic voice cried out loudly and suddenly she was looking down at Raine from above her head, tears streaming down her face as she reached out to hold Raine’s head in her hands. 

‘Help us hold her down,’ Bellamy said grimly. 

Raine could feel panic rising in her chest. Freya’s tear-filled eyes moved frantically from Bellamy to Clarke before looking back down at Raine. She could feel Freya's hands shaking as she leaned down on her shoulder and Bellamy held her other shoulder, Jake appearing to lean on her legs. She hadn’t even realised Jake was back again. And was there more people? Other’s watching? She didn’t know.

‘What if it’s a poisonous arrow Clarke?’ Bellamy asked. ‘We don’t have any more antidote.’

And despite Raine’s delirium and pain she couldn’t miss the look Clarke gave Bellamy as she ignored his question. 

‘Raine,’ Clarke said gently, ‘we need to pull out this arrow and it’s going to hurt like a bitch but you can do this ok?’

Raine could feel tears leak from her eyes as she nodded, her breathing quick, her chest rising and falling with the effort. 

‘Ok. 1…2…3.’

Pain beyond anything she had ever felt seemed to plague every one of her senses as she screamed. A guttural, loud scream that seemed to echo against the steel wall of the dropship and spread onwards for an eternity. And Raine felt so hot but she was shivering, sweat was drenching her hair, and she could feel the wetness at her stomach spread, spread, spread. 

The darkness was too strong now, it pulled at her with eagerness and Raine knew she would have to give in to it. She had no choice now. 

‘Bellamy,’ she whispered before it finally took her. 


End file.
